The Walled City in The Not-So Austen Bookclub

Jul 30, 2017 Katherine rated it really liked it

”There are three rules of survival in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife.”

This is a hard book to categorize. It’s not explicitly historical fiction. Nor is it contemporary. What isn’t hard to figure out is what a fast-paced, electrifying thrill ride this book is.

In the city of Hak Nam, crime reigns supreme. Brothels are as common as laundromats, drug kingpins rule the streets, and the only way to survive in the godforsaken place is to do one or two things; kill ”There are three rules of survival in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife.”

This is a hard book to categorize. It’s not explicitly historical fiction. Nor is it contemporary. What isn’t hard to figure out is what a fast-paced, electrifying thrill ride this book is.

In the city of Hak Nam, crime reigns supreme. Brothels are as common as laundromats, drug kingpins rule the streets, and the only way to survive in the godforsaken place is to do one or two things; kill or be killed. Six and a half acres of pure misery.

”The Hak Nam Walled City. A recipe of humanity’s darkest ingredients- thieves, whores, murderers, addicts- all mashed into six and a half acres. Hell on earth. A place so ruthless even the sunlight won’t enter.”

Dai has been exiled to the Walled City by his father while he tries to clean up a crime that should never have happened. He never expected to stay there for as long as he has, and he wants out. Jin has entered the Walled City disguised as a boy to find her beloved older sister Mei, who has been sold to a brothel by their drunkard father for money. Their paths intertwine in the dark, dank place they unfortunately call home. Whether they’ll be able to get out is another story.

I feel like I just ran a marathon with this book. It’s been a while since I read a book that so utterly immersed me in a world that I never thought I would even like. I mean, who would want to be transported to a world where sex, drugs, and crime ran high? Where it was a daily way of life? Better yet, how could an author make it sound even remotely appealing? While I certainly didn’t find it the latter, it did make me very much want to find out more about this unreal but very real city. Because yes, this book and its setting are based off the real Walled City in Hong Kong, with identical characteristics. The heart pounding action and events that unfold will have you biting your nails and nervously anticipating what’s to come.

All of the characters were so likable and easy to root for, even with their flaws. Dai is a criminal who got caught in with the wrong crowd, and thinks he’s beyond redeemable.

”’Who are you?’

Not a good person. A selfish bastard. A murderer. A liar. All of the above.

There’s no writing in this answer.”

And yet time and time again with his actions, he proves that he’s the hero of his own story and deep down, a good person. His journey of not only escaping the Walled City but finding himself to be redeemable after all is one that will connect with the readers. Jin Ling is in the Walled City too, but with very different intentions. Her sister Mei has been sold into prostitution by their father, and she’s on a mission to get her out.

Jin Ling is the toughest character out of the three. Streetwise without having ever lived on the streets before, she develops her smarts and characteristics by becoming the exact opposite of everything she was before.

”To be a girl in this city- without a roof or family- is a sentence. An automatic ticket to one of the many brothels that line the street.”

One thing I absolutely loved about Jin was the fact that her disguise never became a part of her identity, or what defined her. It was never done as a statement, or as an announcement to the world that she’s better than her male counterparts. She did it out of pure survival, and nothing more. She wants no credit for anything good she might have done after all of this. She just wants her sister home. Her sister Mei, who is so different from her that they may as well be strangers masquerading as sisters. Quiet, meek, and subservient, she fights back in more subtle ways than her ass kicking sister.

”I’m not like my sister. I never was. Jin Ling always ran faster, fought harder. Whenever she was around, I didn’t even bother. This is my race. My risk. Jin Ling’s not here to take it from me. Maybe I’m a faster runner than I realize.”

Forced to work in a brothel and be one ambassador’s exclusive patron, she finds comfort and hope for an escape in Dai, who wants something from inside the brothel she’s working in. Their ‘romance’ was sweet but not essential to the storyline (one could argue not even needed at all). But to me, it added some humanity into an almost inhumane situation that these characters find themselves in.

One thing I really like about this author is that she never writes the same thing more than once. She admitted herself that she loves to jump between genres. And with this book, she’s proven that she’s one of the very few authors who not only does it, but does it well. This is the type of book that demands your attention and never lets it go. It takes you on a wild ride that you don’t want to end. And most importantly, it gives you three distinct characters that you can root for. ...more

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Oct 07, 2014 Roxanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, pleasant-surprise, netgalley

My thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Did I like this book?

I was so surprised by how much I liked this book! I thought the world building and character development were both done fantastically well, and I loved the unique premise of the book.

The story is told from the points of view of the three main characters, and while I loved all three, I'd have to say Jin was my favourite - she was just so tough and brave ...more

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Dec 12, 2014 Brooke ♥booklife4life♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015, boy-and-girl-pov, 3-povs

Title: The Walled City
Author: Ryan Graudin
Rating: 4 Stars.

Okay, this book was hard to rate. I really liked the 3 separate stories.

Dai's story was confusing at first, i wasn't sure where he was gonna go towards the end. Then his past is revealed and it wasn't what i thought the author was trying to hint at during the earlier parts of the book. Overall, he was a good character :]

Jin's story was very good. Under cover as a boy to prevent being taken into a brothel, she is on a quest to find her si ...more

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