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Displaying 1 - 15 of 29 reviews
January 3, 2024
Yet another novel I've got to the end of, thoroughly enjoyed every second and yet still have no clear idea why.
The writing is effortlessly good. The story is frankly bizarre. The characters are most interchangeable but maybe that was the point. I'm still not sure but I really don't care. I do know when Ian Russell-Hsieh writes another novel I'll definitely buy it.
The story revolves around Sean who, being a bloke, has been a depressed fool for a while then blamed his girlfriend fir his own failings and, as any self-respecting egomaniac would, flounces off to Taiwan where his parents are from -- whilst not knowing the language, not knowing a single person, not liking any of the food and generally not knowing why he's there. He then meets some bizarre characters who have their own agendas and falls in with their plans.
As I said, the whole story is strange but wonderful. It deals with depression, family ties, belonging, love, friendship and death. I raced through it because the prose is excellent and I didn't want to stop.
A great debut. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance review copy.
The writing is effortlessly good. The story is frankly bizarre. The characters are most interchangeable but maybe that was the point. I'm still not sure but I really don't care. I do know when Ian Russell-Hsieh writes another novel I'll definitely buy it.
The story revolves around Sean who, being a bloke, has been a depressed fool for a while then blamed his girlfriend fir his own failings and, as any self-respecting egomaniac would, flounces off to Taiwan where his parents are from -- whilst not knowing the language, not knowing a single person, not liking any of the food and generally not knowing why he's there. He then meets some bizarre characters who have their own agendas and falls in with their plans.
As I said, the whole story is strange but wonderful. It deals with depression, family ties, belonging, love, friendship and death. I raced through it because the prose is excellent and I didn't want to stop.
A great debut. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance review copy.
June 20, 2024
This was absolutely awful. The narrator’s frequent reference to his penis as “my monkey” was a low point in a book that was incoherent and painfully dull.
One man’s hallucinogenic stay in Taipei in the aftermath of his father’s death. Absolutely not for me, but thanks @scribneruk for the advance arc via @netgalley.
One man’s hallucinogenic stay in Taipei in the aftermath of his father’s death. Absolutely not for me, but thanks @scribneruk for the advance arc via @netgalley.
August 28, 2025
I don’t really understand what this was to be honest.
was it really readable ? Yeah sure if you want to sit through lines like :
“my body goes limp like I’ve been constipated for weeks and I have finally had the biggest dump ever”
or :
“Ive spend days beating my monkey to internet porn behind closed curtains”
And:
“I go to the bathroom and piss a piss of eternity”
This was also a debut novel which I don’t really know if that makes the entire thing better or worse. Anyway. Many questions. No 1 being “huh?”
was it really readable ? Yeah sure if you want to sit through lines like :
“my body goes limp like I’ve been constipated for weeks and I have finally had the biggest dump ever”
or :
“Ive spend days beating my monkey to internet porn behind closed curtains”
And:
“I go to the bathroom and piss a piss of eternity”
This was also a debut novel which I don’t really know if that makes the entire thing better or worse. Anyway. Many questions. No 1 being “huh?”
January 20, 2025
i’m not entirely sure of what to make of this novel. being a debut, it is difficult to fathom the style of writing that the author is trying to convey. it’s impossible to go off of anything else other than the body of work itself, and in many ways it’s truly great. in some ways it is massively underwhelming.
it follows the story of a taiwanese man, living in london, who has travelled to taipei after a recent break-up which has left his life and self-confidence in ruin. soon after his arrival, he has a chance encounter with a man inside a donut shop which changes the trajectory of his immediate future— possibly saving his life in the process. even bad reasons are reason enough to continue living.
for anyone who is a fan of the ‘diary of an oxygen thief’ series or ‘boy parts’ by eliza clark, a lot of the elements in this book will be enjoyable. in some ways, though, it appears to be a semi-autobiographical study of the author himself, being taiwanese and from shropshire, just like the character(s) in the book. it is an interesting study of the different paths that life can take bearing on a few small decisions, and the fact that people always strive to be a better version of themselves. towards the end, it does reach a conclusion that a settlement needs to be made with yourself in order to become comfortable in your own skin. trying so hard to be the best at everything only results in disappointment and, in many cases, depression. all of this is conveyed through a simplistic, sarcastic, big-headed dialogue which reeks of selfishness and narcissism. personally, i think that adds to the charm of the book.
a little too fast-paced for me; not immersive enough for my taste. i still recommend this as a rather strong debut from this author, and i’m excited to see what he comes up with next.
it follows the story of a taiwanese man, living in london, who has travelled to taipei after a recent break-up which has left his life and self-confidence in ruin. soon after his arrival, he has a chance encounter with a man inside a donut shop which changes the trajectory of his immediate future— possibly saving his life in the process. even bad reasons are reason enough to continue living.
for anyone who is a fan of the ‘diary of an oxygen thief’ series or ‘boy parts’ by eliza clark, a lot of the elements in this book will be enjoyable. in some ways, though, it appears to be a semi-autobiographical study of the author himself, being taiwanese and from shropshire, just like the character(s) in the book. it is an interesting study of the different paths that life can take bearing on a few small decisions, and the fact that people always strive to be a better version of themselves. towards the end, it does reach a conclusion that a settlement needs to be made with yourself in order to become comfortable in your own skin. trying so hard to be the best at everything only results in disappointment and, in many cases, depression. all of this is conveyed through a simplistic, sarcastic, big-headed dialogue which reeks of selfishness and narcissism. personally, i think that adds to the charm of the book.
a little too fast-paced for me; not immersive enough for my taste. i still recommend this as a rather strong debut from this author, and i’m excited to see what he comes up with next.
September 23, 2023
2.5* rounded up
An Englishman of Taiwanese parents, struggling with his identity, too Taiwanese for England but too English for Taiwan. “You’re so English, he laughs. For true, he wields that phrase like a weapon. Just like my parents.” A depressed, disillusioned, unemployed, professional photographer, he escapes to Taipei in the wake of a breakup and meets mysterious millionaire Charles. What follows is…bizarre, to say the least.
The book won’t appeal to those squeamish about bad language, and it’s generally written in a manner I didn’t really enjoy. He says “no playing” and “for true” with annoying regularity. I prefer pretty prose, and this ain’t that. Even so, it’s not without its merits, this inner dialogue. It featured a lot of internalised racism, not finding Asian women attractive, “good looking for an asian man”, offering a heartbreaking insight into the narrator’s self loathing. But it just became a bit repetitive. Sledge hammering the point. And I still don’t know what the “Other Me” was all about. I won’t make efforts to read his next, but this may be more an example of a reader being ill suited for a book, than entirely reflective of its quality.
An Englishman of Taiwanese parents, struggling with his identity, too Taiwanese for England but too English for Taiwan. “You’re so English, he laughs. For true, he wields that phrase like a weapon. Just like my parents.” A depressed, disillusioned, unemployed, professional photographer, he escapes to Taipei in the wake of a breakup and meets mysterious millionaire Charles. What follows is…bizarre, to say the least.
The book won’t appeal to those squeamish about bad language, and it’s generally written in a manner I didn’t really enjoy. He says “no playing” and “for true” with annoying regularity. I prefer pretty prose, and this ain’t that. Even so, it’s not without its merits, this inner dialogue. It featured a lot of internalised racism, not finding Asian women attractive, “good looking for an asian man”, offering a heartbreaking insight into the narrator’s self loathing. But it just became a bit repetitive. Sledge hammering the point. And I still don’t know what the “Other Me” was all about. I won’t make efforts to read his next, but this may be more an example of a reader being ill suited for a book, than entirely reflective of its quality.
November 17, 2025
got through it so fast, guess constantly rolling my eyes helps.
story was cool and mysterious but fell flat. too vague to have a real plot. minimal and quick but aimless.
like yeah fairs maybe it’s one of thems where you’re meant to hate the protagonist: a pretentious film bro who is annoying as fuck. but calling his dick a monkey and talking about his porn addiction was jarring. it was too much.
didn’t think the details of self hatred were done too well, like not fancying asian girls and how he’s grown up asian in a white environment. however i’m not of the same background so cant comment too much as i don’t have the same experience.
story was cool and mysterious but fell flat. too vague to have a real plot. minimal and quick but aimless.
like yeah fairs maybe it’s one of thems where you’re meant to hate the protagonist: a pretentious film bro who is annoying as fuck. but calling his dick a monkey and talking about his porn addiction was jarring. it was too much.
didn’t think the details of self hatred were done too well, like not fancying asian girls and how he’s grown up asian in a white environment. however i’m not of the same background so cant comment too much as i don’t have the same experience.
October 22, 2023
I'm New Here is a novel about a Taiwanese-British man who goes to Taipei looking for meaning, only to instead find a mysterious man with an unusual request. Sean has been fired from his job as a photojournalist and has split up with his girlfriend, and he's at a loss, in Taiwan even though he feels caught between his heritage and not part of Taiwan. In a doughnut shop he meets Charles, an older man who seems to take a sudden interest in him, wanting his photography and skills, and as Sean is drawn into Charles' world, things get weirder, and Sean can hardly be sure what is real.
The distinctive writing style of this book draws you in to Sean's head, not always a great place to be as he's depressed and self-loathing, full of internalised racism and a lack of belief in his own abilities. It's hazy yet fast paced, reflecting the dream-like way in which Sean experiences things and the uncertainty around what might actually be happening or not, especially as the novel draws towards its conclusion. The kind of style, which feels similar to other recent novels, isn't one that I've seen before used for this kind of caught between cultures narrative, and it works well to position Sean as an outsider who also seems to be alienated partly due to his own mindset.
In terms of the narrative, it feels almost like a film to me, with the photography element lending itself to making the book feel quite visual, and the strange events add to this. I liked this visuality, and the way that the narrative itself could almost have been a black comedy crime story at times, but also a literary exploration of alienation and depression. I'm New Here dives into the mind of a self-hating man looking for purpose, combining hazy ambiguity with internalised prejudice, and it's a great short novel that was gripping and hallucinatory.
The distinctive writing style of this book draws you in to Sean's head, not always a great place to be as he's depressed and self-loathing, full of internalised racism and a lack of belief in his own abilities. It's hazy yet fast paced, reflecting the dream-like way in which Sean experiences things and the uncertainty around what might actually be happening or not, especially as the novel draws towards its conclusion. The kind of style, which feels similar to other recent novels, isn't one that I've seen before used for this kind of caught between cultures narrative, and it works well to position Sean as an outsider who also seems to be alienated partly due to his own mindset.
In terms of the narrative, it feels almost like a film to me, with the photography element lending itself to making the book feel quite visual, and the strange events add to this. I liked this visuality, and the way that the narrative itself could almost have been a black comedy crime story at times, but also a literary exploration of alienation and depression. I'm New Here dives into the mind of a self-hating man looking for purpose, combining hazy ambiguity with internalised prejudice, and it's a great short novel that was gripping and hallucinatory.
January 14, 2024
I’m New Here is about a young man who used to live in London with his girlfriend, but broke up with her and moves to Taiwan for a while to try and sort his head out. As a main character he is absolutely insufferable but in a deliberate and comical way. Some of the one liners in this book had me absolutely cackling. He’s a real dickhead but his personality drives the story forward at a propulsive speed, especially through the first half.
It begins to lose its way slightly in the second half of the book and I found that the narrators wittiness and humour ran out of steam quite quickly. The plot, whilst engaging, wasn’t enough to revive the whole book which is why I decided to give it a 3 instead of a 4 star which is how I felt about it at the beginning.
I think this is a book which will do well with the right audience, maybe for those who enjoy American Psycho, Bright Lights Big City etc. with male narrators who are overwhelmingly annoying but ultimately confront the nature of toxic masculinity. It’s good to see one of these books that’s not set in the US and looks at masculinity with-in Asia and another culture.
It begins to lose its way slightly in the second half of the book and I found that the narrators wittiness and humour ran out of steam quite quickly. The plot, whilst engaging, wasn’t enough to revive the whole book which is why I decided to give it a 3 instead of a 4 star which is how I felt about it at the beginning.
I think this is a book which will do well with the right audience, maybe for those who enjoy American Psycho, Bright Lights Big City etc. with male narrators who are overwhelmingly annoying but ultimately confront the nature of toxic masculinity. It’s good to see one of these books that’s not set in the US and looks at masculinity with-in Asia and another culture.
March 14, 2024
On the streets of Taipei the British-Taiwanese Sean experiences the fine line between the rich and poor as well as the high costs of revenge in his misguided quest to find himself in whilst navigating this vibrant city in an intoxicated haze.
Let’s be clear though - despite a comedy of errors that Sean finds himself experiencing, he is not a good person and this journey is much about cowardly escapism as it is about finding himself.
It doesn’t often happen for me that the medium in which a story is presented feels resoundingly incorrect. With I’m New Here the rabbit hole in which our lead finds himself spiralling down accompanied by his camera feel more suited to the graphic novel format.
This story is interesting and Sean’s brand of British nonchalance and sarcasm carries the book further than it should and whilst the mileage on this will vary the second half is a bit of a slog.
Ultimately; this is a reasonably interesting story bogged down by elements of randomness that seemingly present from nowhere.
Let’s be clear though - despite a comedy of errors that Sean finds himself experiencing, he is not a good person and this journey is much about cowardly escapism as it is about finding himself.
It doesn’t often happen for me that the medium in which a story is presented feels resoundingly incorrect. With I’m New Here the rabbit hole in which our lead finds himself spiralling down accompanied by his camera feel more suited to the graphic novel format.
This story is interesting and Sean’s brand of British nonchalance and sarcasm carries the book further than it should and whilst the mileage on this will vary the second half is a bit of a slog.
Ultimately; this is a reasonably interesting story bogged down by elements of randomness that seemingly present from nowhere.
January 26, 2024
I found this book rather impenetrable. I was deeply engrossed in the story but could never quite figure out the main character's motivations or quite what was going on. I don't think this is a negative, I just think this book is slightly batshit and it kept me guessing.
October 22, 2024
Wow that's new book. I read it in record time I have no idea what I read. But the fact that I have a clear image in my head of the apartment and the hotel and Sam .... Means it definitely impacted
March 8, 2024
maybe my rating will change, but i spent most of my time wondering what in the world the author was trying to do with this and how he was going to pull it off. as the narrative went on i became increasingly worried that this was a bad book and that all of it was completely meaningless. the final scene definitely saved that — it ended in the best possible way, there was no other way for this story to end — so now i'm just confused. i'm still slightly worried that this book is awful. i want to figure out what makes it good enough that everyone involved was like 'yep this is ready for publication'. perhaps it's actually genius? i can't help but think of 'return to seoul', which also has a narrator who is an asshole and an ending in which they are not redeemed, in which the classic diaspora angst narrative is subverted. is this book as good as 'return to seoul'? maybe? maybe it's great, maybe it's awful. or maybe it's just somewhere in the middle, which is the more likely thing.
February 16, 2025
This started off quite promising but I left this one feeling like I’d read a less enjoyable version of Boy Parts. A bit too rushed and lacked direction, it definitely could have had a stronger point of view, especially from a debut author.
September 15, 2024
Solid, reminds me a bit of dance dance dance by Murakami
Displaying 1 - 15 of 29 reviews