The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher: Little Brown
Summary: 730. That's how many days I've been trapped.
18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out.
DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible....
JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister....
MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window.....
In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.
I liked this one for its pace (in the second half) and that it had something important to say. Jin was my favorite character overall but my heart quite went out to Mei. Dai didn't captivate me much but he was important to the story and served his purpose well enough. I didn't love this one simply because it was harrowing. The entire brothel and human trafficking thing just held me back from truly loving it but this still ranks as one of the best books I've read all year. I don't know how I'd categorize it. From the summary it seemed like a futuristic YA but upon reading it I felt it was more thriller YA. Either way, it's worth reading as is the author's epilogue explaining his inspiration to tell this story and his insights. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking to read a fast paced story with something deeper to convey. Well done.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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