All That's Left Unsaid
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
For fans of Everything I Never Told You and The Mothers, a deeply moving and unflinching debut following a young Vietnamese-Australian woman who returns home to her family in the wake of her brother’s shocking murder, determined to discover what happened—a dramatic exploration of the intricate bonds and obligations of friendship, family, and community. Just let him go. These are the words Ky Tran will forever regret. The words she spoke when her parents called to ask if they should let her younger brother Denny out to celebrate his high school graduation with friends. That night, Denny—optimistic, guileless, brilliant Denny—is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violent crime, an indifferent police force, and the worst heroin epidemic in Australian history. Returning home to Cabramatta for the funeral, Ky learns that the police are stumped by Denny’s case: a dozen people were at Lucky 8 restaurant when Denny died, but each of the bystanders claim to have seen nothing. Desperately hoping that understanding what happened might ease her suffocating guilt, Ky sets aside her grief and determines to track down the witnesses herself. With each encounter, she peels back another layer of the place that shaped her and Denny, exposing the seeds of violence that were planted well before that fateful celebration dinner: by colonialism, by the war in Vietnam, and by the choices they’ve all made to survive. Alternating between Ky’s voice and the perspectives of the witnesses, Tracey Lien’s extraordinary debut is at once heart-pounding and heart-rending as it probes the intricate bonds of friendship, family, and community through an unforgettable cast of characters, all connected by a devastating crime. Combining evocative family drama and gripping suspense, All That’s Left Unsaid is a profound and moving page turner, perfect for readers of Liz Moore, Brit Bennett, and Celeste Ng.
Reviews with the most likes.
After the violent murder of her younger brother, Ky Tran returns to her home in Cabramatta, Australia, a suburb of Sydney known as the “heroin capital of Australia.” Upon learning that her parents had refused an autopsy and that the police had no leads or suspects, despite the murder having taken place at a populated restaurant, Ky - a journalist - offers to help the police by speaking to the witnesses to try to piece together what really happened to her brother.
Although this is categorized as a thriller, I would argue that it is more of a literary family drama/cultural heritage story with a bit of mystery thrown in. Set in an area of Australia populated by Vietnamese immigrants following the Vietnam War, the story alternates between Ky's perspective and those of the witnesses she speaks to, weaving in and out of their lives, touching on the trauma, suspicions, expectations, and longheld cultural beliefs they carry with them. Ky has to navigate through the lives of all these people while questioning how well she really knew her brother, to whom she was very close, and whether or not he was still the kind, high-achieving, “good” boy she grew up with.
This was a great exploration of a community and a family equal parts connected and devastated by both a shared culture and a tragic crime. Every character had their own unique voice and backstory, but they were presented in a way that enhanced, rather than detracted from the overall plot. This was well-written, fast-paced, and engaging, and I couldn't put it down.
