[Ad-gifted] All That’s Left Unsaid – written by Tracey Lien and published by HQ Digital which is part of Harper Collins – is a raw and stirring story of one woman’s search to uncover the truth about her brother’s murder. Colette Warbrook reviews the book for Yeah Lifestyle.
All That’s Left Unsaid – Lien’s debut novel – centres on the murder of a Vietnamese-Australian teenager, Denny Tran, and his sister Ky’s determination to find out the truth about this death.
Probing the intricate bonds of friendship, family and community, the novel explores themes of racism and inherited trauma.
What I thought of the book
This book is a blistering debut by a skilful author, who writes with heart and fearlessness.
We follow the main character, Ky Tran, as she sets out to cut through the silence that surrounds her younger brother Denny’s violent death.
But Ky is driven by more than sisterly love and grief. She feels bitter regret that she encouraged her parents to let Denny go out on the night he was murdered in a busy restaurant.
Set in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave, Ky faces a wall of silence in the community as she tries to find out who killed her brother as he celebrated his high school graduation.
Returning home for the funeral, Ky learns the case has stumped the police. Even though several people were present at Denny’s murder, each bystander claims to have seen nothing, and they’re all staying silent.
Ky tracks down and questions the witnesses herself. But what she learns goes beyond what happened that fateful night.
In this book, Lien creates believable, flawed characters. As I turned the pages, I learned more about who they are, what motivates them and how their lives are intertwined with each other. It also gave me an insight into a period of history I knew very little about, i.e. the Vietnamese refugees who fled Vietnam and settled in Australia in the 1970s.
Family and friendship – together with all their imperfections – play a central role in the novel. And although there is much darkness, there is humour, love, and hope, too.
So, if you’re looking for something different to the norm to immerse yourself in this autumn, pick up this intense and deeply moving debut.
How much is the book and where can you buy it?
The paperback book is £6.99 while the hardcover is £12.41 and the Kindle download is £0.99. To buy, click here, but please check Amazon for updated prices because they may change.
About the book
Title: All That’s Left Unsaid
Publisher: HQ
ISBN: 9780008511920
Pages: 352
About the author
Tracey Lien was born and raised in southwestern Sydney, Australia. She earned her MFA at the University of Kansas and was previously a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Review by: Colette Warbrook
You may also want to read this:
Book Review of VanLifers: Beautiful Conversions for Life on the Road
Book Review: Felix Unbound by Cathy Gunn
Book Review: Belle Nash and the Bath Soufflé by William Keeling
*We were given a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.
24 comments
This sounds like a book I would love to read not only does the main character have grieft but also guilt which is a hard emotion
Absolutely a great book to read
Thank you for recommending this All That’s Left Unsaid book. Sounds like it was a great book. I will try to check this out later.
Hope you do
This sounds like an interesting who-done-it type book. I think it would make for an interesting read and a great one to download for my dad on his Kindle.
It absolutely is, I enjoyed reading this
Great reco, thank you so much…I will check the book, it seems very interesting. I always rely on your recommendations for books, you never fail to impress…
You are welcome, glad to be of help
All That’s Left Unsaid” sounds like a compelling and emotionally charged novel. The quest for truth surrounding a tragic event, like the murder of Denny Tran, adds depth to the story. The exploration of complex themes such as racism and inherited trauma showcases the author’s ability to delve into profound aspects of human experience. This review provides a glimpse into a book that promises to be a poignant and thought-provoking read.
Thought-provoking indeed if you ask me
Sounds like an interesting book! I am always looking for new books to read and I always enjoy a good mystery so I will give this book a read sometime. Thanks for the review.
Great book to add to your Autumn reading list
This cover looks so familiar I think I may even own it on my shelves. Perhaps that’s my sign to give it a read soon x
Absolutely! I hope you do give the book a read
Sounds like another gripping read! Great review…you’ve definitely caught my interest in this and I will be looking into it!
So glad to hear that, hope you get a copy
This sounds like an amazing read. I love the whole deep dive into family dynamics, and the setting sounds very intriguing.
It is an interesting read indeed
This is just my kind of book! I love character-driven stories, and the premise of this one sounds like it’s so full of emotion.
So glad to hear that
I’m always looking for book suggestions especially at this time of year when I do snuggle down to read books more often than in summer. This sounds like a great read and I’ll definitely check it out.
Absolutely, nothing like a good book and a mug of hot chocolate
This sounds like an interesting story – knowing the motivation to investigate something is always interesting.
Yes it is indeed