The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars
Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Synopsis: Dai, Jin and Mai Yee are all in the Walled City for different reasons but all 3 must face the harsh reality of their environments and make hard choices to secure a better future.
My thoughts: (no spoilers)
How do I even begin with this one.
This book floored me, it was so incredibly written.
It follows 3 characters.
Dai is living in the city because of something tragic that has happened in his life, and he is trying to find a way to clear his name so he can leave.
Jin is a girl who is pretending to be a boy, living in the city searching for her sister whom their father sold.
Mai Yee is said sister and lives in a brothel owned by the most powerful drug dealer in the city.
Ryan Graudin is such an amazing writer, I was so connected with all of these characters. I felt what they felt, I empathized with their struggles, I felt almost as if I was in this world following them around every time I picked it up. Or listened to, I had the audiobook as well as the kindle book.
The world they live in was so vivid, brutal and sad but I had no problem picturing it. They were so real, their dialogue, their choices, their hope.
I loved the way the plot line came together, that each character had a different piece to the puzzle. I loved the bravery of the characters but that they still sometimes had doubts and fears, it made it feel more realistic.
I really can’t say a lot without giving away too much of the story, I feel like this is one you really have to experience without knowing too much about it.
However, if you are sensitive to triggers, there is a lot of violence in this… People die, and not nicely, there are brothels and drugs and just plain awful things that happen. This is a world where the authorities have no say, it is basically a small city run by a drug lord that always gets what he wants. If that’s not something you are comfortable with, please don’t read this…
If you are ok with a realistic storyline that involves some uncomfortable things, then I think it is a fantastic read. I love Ryan Graudin’s writing style, and that she completes the story making it well rounded and addictive.
I felt at a loss for words on how to describe my thoughts accurately with this one, I loved it but I’m not sure I can convey exactly why in all the words. I think it was fantastic, if someone was thinking of reading it, I would say yes! Go for it… Bottom line right there.
Thanks for reading
Until next time
Bye! 😊
That One Girl Who Reads 