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A review by paradise_library
All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
3.0
3.5 stars
The synopsis pitches this as a murder mystery. To a point, it is, but it is quite clear what happened to Denny and why, so for me his death was only a minor part of the story.
The richer element is the story of family, perseverance and acceptance. For this family of Vietnamese immigrants living in Australia, times are tough. The parents are poorer, don’t speak the language and struggle to integrate. The children are Australian, struggle with Vietnamese and despair about their parents. It’s a common theme in novels. Daughters never live up to their mother’s expectations about marriage, while sons struggle with the pressure to do better.
Lien has shared an insight into how this feels and the struggles on both sides. While there is some shocking racism (and I had to look up a few terms) the family’s choice to live in a Vietnamese community somewhat diminishes it, and we don’t truly appreciate the true impact it would have had on the families.
There are a lot of flashbacks, which are interesting and help us to understand the present day family, but the distinction between past and present is somewhat blurred. Were this a story of family then I would rate it higher as the insight into the culture and traditions is fascinating. Ky’s weak attempts to interview everyone are less gripping, especially as she barely discovers anything. These show us the fear that the gangs instil in everyone, as well as the mistrust of the police, but otherwise add little to the story, because halfway through it becomes more about her friendship with Minnie and how it ended.
While the book is short, the chapters are long which does make it a very slow book. There are also a few expressions that feel more modern than the time this story is set - perhaps Australia was ahead of its time, but a few seem more 21st century then end of 20th.
The final chapter redeems the book; it’s poignant and thought-provoking. It is a shame we don’t learn more about Denny, as despite him being at the book’s centre we really know very little about him. Coupled with the lack of emotion, it’s hard to feel anything about his death.
Trien has talent as a storyteller, but as a whole this book is rather underwhelming.
The synopsis pitches this as a murder mystery. To a point, it is, but it is quite clear what happened to Denny and why, so for me his death was only a minor part of the story.
The richer element is the story of family, perseverance and acceptance. For this family of Vietnamese immigrants living in Australia, times are tough. The parents are poorer, don’t speak the language and struggle to integrate. The children are Australian, struggle with Vietnamese and despair about their parents. It’s a common theme in novels. Daughters never live up to their mother’s expectations about marriage, while sons struggle with the pressure to do better.
Lien has shared an insight into how this feels and the struggles on both sides. While there is some shocking racism (and I had to look up a few terms) the family’s choice to live in a Vietnamese community somewhat diminishes it, and we don’t truly appreciate the true impact it would have had on the families.
There are a lot of flashbacks, which are interesting and help us to understand the present day family, but the distinction between past and present is somewhat blurred. Were this a story of family then I would rate it higher as the insight into the culture and traditions is fascinating. Ky’s weak attempts to interview everyone are less gripping, especially as she barely discovers anything. These show us the fear that the gangs instil in everyone, as well as the mistrust of the police, but otherwise add little to the story, because halfway through it becomes more about her friendship with Minnie and how it ended.
While the book is short, the chapters are long which does make it a very slow book. There are also a few expressions that feel more modern than the time this story is set - perhaps Australia was ahead of its time, but a few seem more 21st century then end of 20th.
The final chapter redeems the book; it’s poignant and thought-provoking. It is a shame we don’t learn more about Denny, as despite him being at the book’s centre we really know very little about him. Coupled with the lack of emotion, it’s hard to feel anything about his death.
Trien has talent as a storyteller, but as a whole this book is rather underwhelming.