Ky a young vietnamese news reporter comes back to her hometown when her brother is murdered at a graduation party. No-one seems to know anything, least of all the police. The book is a story of loss, cultural differences between generations and a feeling of never really fitting in. Though the story has a murder it was quite slow paced and although I enjoyed learning more about the Vietnamese in Australia I did find it all a bit repetitive. It was also a bit unconvincing that an ambitious journalist was so awkward around other people and reverted back to childhood.

Carefully researched, this book gives an opportunity to enter the closed circle of life in the Asian community in a poor suburb of Melbourne,, Australia. Originally from Vietnam, Ky's parents escaped with their young daughter to take refuge in Cambratta, a close knit Asian enclave which became victim to a heroin epidemic during Ky's teenage years. She and her younger brother Denny, who was born in Australia, Trying hard to be 'good' for the family, keeping up with the language and traditions of Vietnam while living in a country where they are clearly not part of the 'white' culture, Ky in particular carries a daily burden. Denny, quiet and intelligent, pride of his parents, not so much. Ky's girlhood friend, Minnie, rebellious and loud plays a big part in both of their lives, until she falls in with a 'naughty ' crowd and she drifts away from the friendship - until one shocking night and the event that brings Ky home, looking for Minnie and the answers she needs. A thought provoking book, giving glimpses of a culture and often resentments hidden from most white Australians

This is one of those books that make you realise how little you know about the world. Knowing next to nothing of the Vietnamese community is Australia, now or then, I assume it reflects the area authentically. This is quite a sad tale which illustrates the need for compassion, empathy and sometimes forgiveness.

I quite enjoyed the beginning of All That's Left Unsaid but by 25% through it had lost me. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review this book but it just wasn't for me this time.

This book follows the story of Ky Tran ,who along with her parents fled Vietnam, and now lives in Australia. Ky was only young at the time so has been able to embrace the Australian way of life, in the main, in a way that her parents haven't been able to do. They are still living in the past, and keep themselves to themselves.
Many years late, the murder of her younger brother, Danny brings Ky home for the first time in ages ,and she finds herself investigating his death, although her parents don't seem to want to know what happened.
The story also touches on life in Vietnam, and how it affects their new life in Australia. It gave me a little insight to the Vietnamese way of life, and their struggles after they fled the war.
I must admit that this book didn't grip me as I thought it might. I found it a little slow in places and it struggled to hold my attention. Although it did pick up for me in the latter chapters, and I am glad that I read it to the end.

A hard-hitting story about living as an immigrant in a white community, in this case Vietnamese in Australia. There are cultural and language difficulties that provoke different expectations of life and here a life is lost and the family has to battle to get answers. Ky is a great character who holds the book and her family together.

This is a definite 5 star read, and an amazing debut. Loved all the characters and the wonderful interplay between Ky and Minnie, her childhood friend, during the harrowing aftermath of Denny’s brutal killing.

A very relevant story - this supposed global world still sees colour before anything else and the inherent prejudices still prevail to todays youth and culture. Tracey Lien writes beautifully and I will definitely look forward to reading her other works. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, HQ, for this ARC.

I love reading books by new authors or on subjects I've not discovered before. And this book was no exception. Amazing characters, gripping story line. Really was a great read

A great debut, very haunting and thought provoking. Look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

A tragic, sometimes difficult yet powerful read. Such deapth within the story. I was profoundly moved by this book and I think it will stay with me a long time

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien is a marvellous debut novel that totally consumed me.
The story is set in 1996 in the Vietnamese community in Australia. It is very powerful and totally heart-breaking.
Much of the community fled Vietnam for the safety of Australia. They fled for a new life but were met with persecution and prejudice. “The looks she got… the way they saw her skin before they saw her.” The people were judged before they were known. Parents took low paid jobs and stressed the importance of education to their children, so that they could rise up out of poverty.
The streets were dangerous places to be. There was much drug related crime.
We follow a character as she searches for answers to her brother’s murder. Witnesses appeared struck blind and dumb as there was fear of retaliation if they talked.
The reader hears the back story to the main characters. We see the hand of kindness and generosity offered to one whose life had known only cruelty and neglect. A friendship rose up and then something happened – the reader can only guess at what as we work our way through the book.
There is sibling love. A closeness as young children drifts apart as lives take different paths.
We see characters consumed by guilt. Guilt drags lives down but changes nothing.
Everyone deals with death differently. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. We have to do what we can to muddle through.
We follow the lead character as she tries to find out what happened that night. My heart went out to the ten year old girl – her story was heart breaking.
All That’s Left Unsaid was a powerful read that really played with my emotions. It was absolutely heart-breaking on so many levels. I can thoroughly recommend it but you will need tissues. I look forward to much more from Tracey Lien.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Wow, an unflinching look at how refugees assimilate and adapt to a new country. Trying to fit the old life in to a new place. New generations feel the expectations to succeed but within the older customs and ways.
S very powerful and poignant novel

Ky is a young Vietnamese woman, raised in Australia after her parents fled the war in Vietnam. She is a trainee journalist, living in Sydney and returns home for the funeral of her brother, killed in a senseless act of violence. Her parents ask her to find out what happened, as they feel they are being stonewalled by the (white) police force.
But this is not so much of a murder mystery as an exploration of relationships and expectations- between friends, within families, and between cultures.
The story delves into Ky’s childhood, and her relationship with her best friend Minnie. They saw the world as having very low expectations of them, and react very differently to this, with far-reaching effects.
The story moves at a very slow pace, and asks more questions than it answers.
Well written, and a relatively easy, though not entirely comfortable, read.

Ky Trans returns to her hometown of Cabramatta in the wake of her younger brother’s death after he was brutally murdered inside a restaurant. Ky discovers that not only do the police have no idea what happened, but every witness in the building also claims they saw nothing. Determined to find out what had happened, Ky is forced to recount her childhood as her own investigation will have her return to the community of Cabramatta, a place so buried in her past that the truth might never be free.

Ky’s story will resonate with many children of immigrants, families whose lives were uprooted and planted in a foreign nation and left to survive in a community that doesn’t want them. The real Cabramatta is home to many Vietnamese families, and Lien incorporates the history well into this tale of a young woman desperate to find the truth. Her parents can barely speak English, so navigating the system is already a hurdle that only she can help her family with. When she realises finding the truth will be hard as people begin to suspect her brother was involved with the local gangs. She is forced to investigate the roots of her communities and face the harsh realities that she left behind. Intergenerational trauma, racism, addiction and poverty are just some of the hardships that Cabramatta faces. And Ky has to return to the roots of her parents, her brother and her childhood friend, who she had lost connection with years ago.

However, I did feel like there could’ve been a better distinction between the flashbacks of the past, as those scenes tend to blend into one. The mystery aspect of the story doesn’t hold up well, so in terms of suspense, I felt like it wasn’t strong enough to keep me on my toes. Nonetheless, Ky’s story is still heartbreaking and powerful.

Overall, All That’s Left Unsaid is insightful and emotional. Lien has a strong writing style that compels me to look forward to future releases. A crafted story that brings forth a touching tale about community and survival while also a snapshot into the lives of the Vietnamese community in the 90s.

Ky is 22 and trying to uncover the truth behind the murder of her younger brother, Denny, who died while celebrating his high school graduation. This at first seemed like a murder mystery, but it is so much more than that.
It's a story about Vietnamese immigrants and their issues settling in Australia. It's a story about family, about the friendships we make in our childhood. I loved the way the relationship between the two siblings was portrayed. It's also a story about police issues in a place with a big drug problem.

The structure alternates between Ky's and other characters' points of view, which I thought was well done and kept me interested as we heard more about the people she's talking to in order to discover the truth.

Definitely a new author to watch.

The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that at parts I was a bit confused between whether the part I was reading was a flashback or part of the current story. Maybe some separation between the two would have helped (but it's not a massive deal).

The more I read of this novel, the more hooked I became. It shows that dealing with acceptance is something that can affect anyone, and that challenges can come from many different aspects of our lives.

A thought-provoking read that was very moving.

This book is set in Australia, in a suburb of Sydney, which is home to a Vietnamese community. Ky is 22 years old and returns back there following her younger brothers murder. Ky had been working as as a journalist. The book is a murder/mystery but it does give a glimpse into the life of Vietnamese immigrants and some of their challenges. Denny was a top achieving high school student. Ky wants answers as to why Denny was murdered and she sets about asking questions that no one wants to answer, In the course of her investigation Ky has to look hard at her culture. There are flashbacks to her earlier life, these weave well into the story.
It would be a spoiler to say more.
I liked the book and wanted to hear more, even after finishing it. I hope in time I can find more from this author or other Vietnamese authors. I will hold an open mind to whether this book reflects a specific immigrant experience of refugees that had fled Vietnam and ended up in a specific area of Australia.. It's definitely something I want to know more about.

This book drew me as I read more and more of it. It showed how being accepted is not a given for anyone moving to a new country and having their own history to deal with. The challenges that face them is beyond what you can imagine and the conflict it causes within families and the community is highlighted along with the dismissive nature of the authorities assuming the worst.

I found it moving and hope that things start changing.

Ky is a Vietnamese Australian woman working in Melbourne when she receives a phonecall from her father telling her that her younger brother, Denny, has been killed. She returns home to Cabramatta to discover the police have a complete lack of interest in Denny's case. She finds out that he was beaten to death in a popular Vietnamese restaurant where none of the diners will admit to seeing anything. Ky figures that if she can speak to the customers and staff, all Vietnamese, she might find out more than the distrusted police.

This novel has two clear themes, a murder investigation and an exploration of Vietnamese culture and norms set against Australian society and its treatment of Asian people. The family dynamics between Ky and her parents are fascinating. Culturally they are very different. Ky regards herself as Vietnamese Australian whilst her parents still regard Vietnam as their true home. Ky's frustration with them, particularly her mother, is never far from the surface.

The characters in this very cleverly written novel are well realised and the pressures placed upon them by both cultures are intelligently explored.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Also received physical copy, thank you.

I read All That’s Left Unsaid for book recommendation site LoveReading. I’ve chosen it as a LoveReading Star Book and Debut of the Month. Please see the site for the full review.