REVIEW: All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

by |October 21, 2022
All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

All That’s Left Unsaid is a heartwrenching and profound debut from Vietnamese-Australian author Tracey Lien. This book was a little bit of a departure from my usual go-to reads, but once I read the synopsis, I just knew I had to give this novel a go. It has a chilling mystery at its center but also delves deeply into concepts of family, culture, and race. Read on to hear my thoughts…

This novel is set in Cabramatta, Sydney, in the 1980s-1990s, when this place was experiencing a crime and drug epidemic. Ky, the protagonist’s brother, Denny, is brutally murdered in a crowded restaurant. Ky, who has been living in Melbourne and working as a journalist, returns home to assist her family in the wake of her brother’s murder. Ky is confronted by the fact despite many people being there when her brother was attacked, no one claims to have seen anything.

Thus, begins her journey to find the truth. Wracked with guilt and grief, Ky has to go back through her past to find answers, and battles with cultural expectations and oppressive systems in order to achieve justice for Denny.

I really enjoyed this book. Despite not having a thorough knowledge of Cabramatta history or Vietnamese culture, I felt that I could still really understand and relate to Ky and her journey in the novel. Tracey Lien’s writing is so beautiful and vivid, and you are thrown into many different perspectives throughout the book that adds such a rich dimension to the story.

If you enjoy mystery, Australian history, or just want to read a truly fantastic book – All That’s Left Unsaid is a must-read.

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All That's Left Unsaidby Tracey Lien

All That's Left Unsaid

by Tracey Lien

There were a dozen witnesses to Denny Tran’s brutal murder in a busy Sydney restaurant. So how come no one saw anything?

‘Just let him go.’ Those are 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. That night in 1996, Denny – optimistic, guileless, brilliant Denny – is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant in Cabramatta, a Sydney suburb facing violent crime, an indifferent police force, and the worst heroin epidemic in Australian history.

Returning home for the funeral, Ky learns that the police are stumped by her brother’s case: several people were at Lucky 8 restaurant when Denny died, but each of the bystanders claim to have seen nothing.

As an antidote to grief and guilt, Ky is determined to track down the witnesses herself. With each encounter, she peels away another layer of the place that shaped her and Denny, exposing the trauma and 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.

Tracey Lien's extraordinary debut is at once heart-pounding and heart-rending as it pulls apart the intricate bonds of friendship, family, culture and community that produced a devastating crime. Combining evocative family drama and gripping suspense, All That's Left Unsaid is both a study of the effects of inherited trauma and social discrimination, and a compulsively readable literary thriller that expertly holds the reader in its grip until the final page.

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Kass is Booktopia's resident Comms and Social Media Specialist. She spends her day scrolling TikTok, picking up the latest trends, and posting content. When she isn't on social media, you can find her on BookTok, reading the latest contemporary romance, or playing with her dog, Leia.

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