Scan barcode
A review by wingreads
An Echo in the City by K.X. Song
4.0
Kai and Nix meet in Hong Kong during the democracy protests of 2019-2020. They are also on the opposite sides; Nix is a student who becomes involved with the movement via her Brother, whereas Kai is an undercover officer who via a phone mixup, became part of the movement.
Both have their own motivations; Nix questions the choices mandated by her divorced parents, and grows awareness of how her own privledges has meant meant she is likely to be shielded from many challenges. Kai grows up in Shanghai and joins the police as part of following in his Fathers footsteps, filal piety and guilt over his Mother's death. Neither of them expected to meet, or fall in love.
Song has built a familiar world of sounds, smells and sights - this is the HK I know and I'm familiar with. I see the class and wealth disparity, the difference in access for those who have and those who don't, and the four word idioms which speak so much truth.
Song also explored the nauce of the diaspora and those who have returned to their roots. I am also unsure of how to refer to myself too, and feel uneasy as to my rights to do so.
The scenes between the demonstrators and the police were filled with tension and made my heart race. There has been much documented from various sources, which highlighted desperation across both sides.
Although I did not live in HK at the time, I followed the events closely and felt scared, heartbroken but unable to look away. The fallout is still happening now, and impact of decisions will be felt across generations. I see the heartache from those who survived the horrors of colonial rule and how they balance the formation of the Peoples Republic and the safety they yearned for. I also hear the perspective of those who see their future and freedoms being changed, which may not align to what they know or were familiar with. This has teared families apart, made naunced discourse almost impossible, and tensions still burn on. There will be more books written about this period.
This is a fairly well paced YA story, full of believable supporting characters and backstories of their involvement and perspectives. On the surface of it, it appears to be a coming of age, love story; but it's far more than that. This is an accessible introduction to some of the events of the time. Song also explains that this is not meant to be representative of views of locals, but rather an additional record for a significant event on the island.
Both have their own motivations; Nix questions the choices mandated by her divorced parents, and grows awareness of how her own privledges has meant meant she is likely to be shielded from many challenges. Kai grows up in Shanghai and joins the police as part of following in his Fathers footsteps, filal piety and guilt over his Mother's death. Neither of them expected to meet, or fall in love.
Song has built a familiar world of sounds, smells and sights - this is the HK I know and I'm familiar with. I see the class and wealth disparity, the difference in access for those who have and those who don't, and the four word idioms which speak so much truth.
Song also explored the nauce of the diaspora and those who have returned to their roots. I am also unsure of how to refer to myself too, and feel uneasy as to my rights to do so.
The scenes between the demonstrators and the police were filled with tension and made my heart race. There has been much documented from various sources, which highlighted desperation across both sides.
Although I did not live in HK at the time, I followed the events closely and felt scared, heartbroken but unable to look away. The fallout is still happening now, and impact of decisions will be felt across generations. I see the heartache from those who survived the horrors of colonial rule and how they balance the formation of the Peoples Republic and the safety they yearned for. I also hear the perspective of those who see their future and freedoms being changed, which may not align to what they know or were familiar with. This has teared families apart, made naunced discourse almost impossible, and tensions still burn on. There will be more books written about this period.
This is a fairly well paced YA story, full of believable supporting characters and backstories of their involvement and perspectives. On the surface of it, it appears to be a coming of age, love story; but it's far more than that. This is an accessible introduction to some of the events of the time. Song also explains that this is not meant to be representative of views of locals, but rather an additional record for a significant event on the island.