The Walled City

by Ryan Graudin

[shannonmiz]

I wanted to love this one. So, so much. I did celebratory dances upon its arrival to my Kindle.

First of all, I don't think I exactly knew what to expect from The Walled City, which was probably part of the appeal. I knew it wasn't dystopian, but was a standalone, and that it was set in some kind of alterna-Asia? I confess, I still don't understand where or when this was set, but we'll get to that. The book is based on a place which is (terrifyingly) a real historical thing.

There was definitely a unique quality to this book, which is most certainly refreshing. The setting itself (a Walled City in Asia) is intriguing, to say the least. So, since there were some aspects of the book that I really did like (and obviously, some I did not), I'm going to break it down:

What worked for me:
-The world building of the Walled City itself was kind of great. I could definitely picture it, as awful and dismal as it was, and certainly felt immersed in the world.

-The book moved along at a pretty good pace for the most part, and there was certainly a substantial amount of action.

-The unique setting was pretty great, though I would have liked a bit more infusion of the Asian culture.

What didn't:

-The characters felt very flat. I didn't feel like I "knew" them, didn't feel any emotional connection to them. I felt like I'd been given these factual tidbits about them without any feeling behind them to make me care. They were in some truly horrific situations, but I didn't feel the angst or the desperation that I expected to. Through the three POVs (Jin, Dai, and Mei Yee), the story unfolded, and I recognized the direness of the situation, but I never felt enough emotion behind them to care. I did think Jin and Dai were a bit more fleshed out than Mei Yee, and I did gravitate to their POVs a bit more.
Pretty much every character, from the protagonists to the villains, lacked substance. They were all incredibly two-dimensional, and I think that is why I struggled to have concern for their plights.

-A lot of the book seemed very, very convenient. The resolutions to some of the plot issues were just too "easy" for me. And the ending, while I can see its appeal, underwhelmed me completely.

-I found it quite predictable after a while. I think this goes back to the previous point, in part, because the convenience factor left me certain of how the next obstacle would be overcome. I wasn't on the edge of my seat, because I just knew what was coming (trying to be vague and non-spoilery here!).
The relationship bugged me. Again, not saying much, just that I really didn't like the way things played out.

-What happened to the rest of the world? This wasn't a case of the characters being trapped in this Walled City since birth, so they had to have some knowledge about the world around them. I seriously haven't the faintest idea when this took place, or under what world circumstances. While the world building of the actual city was good, the rest of it was virtually non-existent.

Bottom Line: A disappointing book overall for me. But it is getting lots of love from other readers, so I am pretty certain I am going to remain the black sheep on this one.

*Copy provided for review