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An Echo in the City
Two star-crossed teenagers fall in love during the Hong Kong protests in this searing contemporary novel about coming-of-age in a time of change.
Sixteen-year-old Phoenix knows her parents have invested thousands of dollars to help her leave Hong Kong and get an elite Ivy League education. They think America means big status, big dreams, and big bank accounts. But Phoenix doesn’t want big; she just wants home. The trouble is, she doesn’t know where that is … until the Hong Kong protest movement unfolds, and she learns the city she’s come to love is in danger of disappearing.
Seventeen-year-old Kai sees himself as an artist, not a filial son, and certainly not a cop. But when his mother dies, he’s forced to leave Shanghai to reunite with his estranged father, a respected police officer, who’s already enrolled him in the Hong Kong police academy. Kai wants to hate his job, but instead, he finds himself craving his father’s approval. And when he accidentally swaps phones with Phoenix and discovers she’s part of a protest network, he finds a way to earn by infiltrating the group and reporting their plans back to the police.
As Kai and Phoenix join the struggle for the future of Hong Kong, a spark forms between them, pulling them together even as their two worlds try to force them apart. But when their relationship is built on secrets and deception, will they still love the person left behind when the lies fall away?
Sixteen-year-old Phoenix knows her parents have invested thousands of dollars to help her leave Hong Kong and get an elite Ivy League education. They think America means big status, big dreams, and big bank accounts. But Phoenix doesn’t want big; she just wants home. The trouble is, she doesn’t know where that is … until the Hong Kong protest movement unfolds, and she learns the city she’s come to love is in danger of disappearing.
Seventeen-year-old Kai sees himself as an artist, not a filial son, and certainly not a cop. But when his mother dies, he’s forced to leave Shanghai to reunite with his estranged father, a respected police officer, who’s already enrolled him in the Hong Kong police academy. Kai wants to hate his job, but instead, he finds himself craving his father’s approval. And when he accidentally swaps phones with Phoenix and discovers she’s part of a protest network, he finds a way to earn by infiltrating the group and reporting their plans back to the police.
As Kai and Phoenix join the struggle for the future of Hong Kong, a spark forms between them, pulling them together even as their two worlds try to force them apart. But when their relationship is built on secrets and deception, will they still love the person left behind when the lies fall away?
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
30 people are currently reading
4801 people want to read
About the author
K.X. Song
5 books905 followersK. X. Song is a diaspora writer with roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai. An Echo in the City is her debut novel. Visit her online at kxsong.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
September 5, 2023
The second half of this novel blew me away! I enjoyed An Echo in the City, a book about two star-crossed teenagers falling in love during the 2019 Hong Kong protests. I feel that K.X. Song did a great job writing about a topic that doesn’t get much mainstream attention in the United States (I’m referencing the U.S. just because that’s where I live.) She highlights sixteen-year-old Phoenix’s journey from privilege and lack of awareness to activism, from her disinterested path in attending Yale to her taking action to capture key moments in an activist movement. Song also portrays seventeen-year-old Kai’s evolution from working as a police officer to fulfill what his father wants from him, to honoring what he wants from his life regardless of what other people may think. In the afterword of this novel, Song writes about how people told her that this book may not do well because it doesn’t feature a white protagonist. While the book doesn’t seem to be super popular, I’m so glad Song stuck through with it because it definitely raises intersecting themes of identity, politics, and pursuing what’s right even when doing so comes at a cost.
I also enjoyed the characterization and romance in this novel. Loved the development of a healthy romance between two Asian protagonists! I also thought Song did a nice job of having both Phoenix and Kai come to terms with what they really want and who they really are despite familial pressures. I will say though that that ending ~broke~ my heart in an amazing way, I was sitting in bed just like “omg I can’t believe this I’m shaking and devastated though thank goodness a book can make me feel this way.” I’m giving this novel four out of five stars instead of five out of five because I felt that the book did drag a bit in the first half, there just wasn’t much that grabbed my attention. Still, the second half won me over and I’d recommend this book to fans of young-adult realistic fiction.
I also enjoyed the characterization and romance in this novel. Loved the development of a healthy romance between two Asian protagonists! I also thought Song did a nice job of having both Phoenix and Kai come to terms with what they really want and who they really are despite familial pressures. I will say though that that ending ~broke~ my heart in an amazing way, I was sitting in bed just like “omg I can’t believe this I’m shaking and devastated though thank goodness a book can make me feel this way.” I’m giving this novel four out of five stars instead of five out of five because I felt that the book did drag a bit in the first half, there just wasn’t much that grabbed my attention. Still, the second half won me over and I’d recommend this book to fans of young-adult realistic fiction.
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July 9, 2024hey i just wanted to let you know that this is kinda not good
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pre review: kind of interesting to see how the matter of the 2019 protests will be handled given i was also part of it back then. hopefully this isn’t written insensitively.
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pre review: kind of interesting to see how the matter of the 2019 protests will be handled given i was also part of it back then. hopefully this isn’t written insensitively.
January 20, 2023
a poignant, riveting story of hope and love and what it means to be a part of your community. with your voice. with your thoughts. with your heart. absolutely phenomenal.
August 13, 2023
4.5 Stars
K.X. Song’s coming of age debut was a beautifully compelling, lyrical and nuanced exploration of class, identity, freedom and belonging. Which sees student protester Phoenix and trainee police officer Kai fall in love despite being on opposing sides of the 2019 Hong Kong Protests.
I honestly really enjoyed this and loved the poignancy and level of depth we explore in soo many of the characters we encounter. Particularly Phoenix and Kai, our MCs (and sole POVs throughout the story) who both struggle with the pressures of family expectations, their disconnected sense of identity and not feeling like they truly belong, in the city they call home.
Phoenix is by far the most outspoken of the two. However, having grown up between Hong Kong and America, Phoenix struggles to find connection with her cultural identity which leaves her feeling like an imposter.
It’s not until she attends a student protest with her brother (and his new girlfriend) that she begins to finally feel like she belongs. Her emotional journey to self-discovery and her privileged upbringing provided a unique and refreshing perspective that, when juxtaposed with Kai’s less fortunate background (and cautious, introverted personality) highlights just how different this star-crossed couple is.
And yet, it’s those same differences that allow them both to finally see past their own biases and learn to fight for the things they believe in. The romance was actually rather sweet too, if a little miscommunication-y, but the chemistry and slow burn tension between them was incredibly swoon-worthy.
There are also soo many immersive, detailed and evocative scenes that manage to lovingly capture the vibrancy of Hong Kong’s history, culture and people. By giving readers a glimpse into the vast and varied personal experiences, perspectives and opinions that made up the collective zeitgeist of the 2019 movement.
And with a list of further material (both books and videos) to check out, this is definitely perfectly placed to kick start important conversations around Hong Kong’s ongoing fight that we don’t get to see in all the clickbaity, international headlines.
Definitely a must read for contemporary YA or star crossed romance fans.
Also, a huge thank you to Rock The Boat for the (absolutely stunning) finished copy.
K.X. Song’s coming of age debut was a beautifully compelling, lyrical and nuanced exploration of class, identity, freedom and belonging. Which sees student protester Phoenix and trainee police officer Kai fall in love despite being on opposing sides of the 2019 Hong Kong Protests.
I honestly really enjoyed this and loved the poignancy and level of depth we explore in soo many of the characters we encounter. Particularly Phoenix and Kai, our MCs (and sole POVs throughout the story) who both struggle with the pressures of family expectations, their disconnected sense of identity and not feeling like they truly belong, in the city they call home.
Phoenix is by far the most outspoken of the two. However, having grown up between Hong Kong and America, Phoenix struggles to find connection with her cultural identity which leaves her feeling like an imposter.
It’s not until she attends a student protest with her brother (and his new girlfriend) that she begins to finally feel like she belongs. Her emotional journey to self-discovery and her privileged upbringing provided a unique and refreshing perspective that, when juxtaposed with Kai’s less fortunate background (and cautious, introverted personality) highlights just how different this star-crossed couple is.
And yet, it’s those same differences that allow them both to finally see past their own biases and learn to fight for the things they believe in. The romance was actually rather sweet too, if a little miscommunication-y, but the chemistry and slow burn tension between them was incredibly swoon-worthy.
There are also soo many immersive, detailed and evocative scenes that manage to lovingly capture the vibrancy of Hong Kong’s history, culture and people. By giving readers a glimpse into the vast and varied personal experiences, perspectives and opinions that made up the collective zeitgeist of the 2019 movement.
And with a list of further material (both books and videos) to check out, this is definitely perfectly placed to kick start important conversations around Hong Kong’s ongoing fight that we don’t get to see in all the clickbaity, international headlines.
Definitely a must read for contemporary YA or star crossed romance fans.
Also, a huge thank you to Rock The Boat for the (absolutely stunning) finished copy.
July 23, 2023
I have struggled to write this review for nearly a month because I don’t think I can ever articulate how seen and acknowledged I was while reading. This book felt like it was written just for me—it hugged me and let me know my experiences as a diasporic Hong Kong-American were valid while making me swell with pride in my ancestors and kin, even if I will never know them.
An Echo in the City is an intimate and timely look into the 2019 Hong Kong protests as well as a call to action to Hong Kongers' current plight, especially with an ever-encroaching authoritarian power at their doorstep and a seemingly indifferent West. The characters are full of nuance and depth as they grapple with meeting their parents’ expectations and honoring their sacrifices while trying to forge their own identity and secure the futures they want. K.X. Song masterfully tackles the identity, disillusionment, and empowerment inherent to the teen experience with a poignant love story, both between the two main characters and their relationship to Hong Kong, a city they feel disconnected from but love fiercely nonetheless.
Kai is a young police officer desperate to win his father’s approval. Refreshingly, his character conflict is not merely glossed over as a cultural issue of filial piety (honoring and respecting elders through service); rather, his fear of pursuing his own happiness at the sake of others is woven into his character flaws. He’s constantly at war with himself as he tries to do what his parents and greater society expects of him while also honoring his mother’s memory by continuing his art. My only small (and by small I mean tiny) critique of Kai’s story is that I wish conformity and herd mentality explored more through his colleagues, but as Echo is a first POV, character-driven novel, I appreciate how much nuance Song was able to weave into his story.
In direct contrast to Kai’s tortured and conflicted character arc is the subtlety and nuance of Phoenix’s. Having grown up in America and coming from a sequestered, privileged lifestyle, her slow disillusionment with the ideology of revolution versus the violent reality was engrossing and meticulously plotted. Phoenix encapsulates the psychological effects of youth-led movements, yet she never loses her initial optimism and steadfast belief in a better tomorrow. I loved how loyal she remained, both to her friends, family, Kai, and herself–she could be indecisive, but she never fell into the stereotypical YA protagonist indecisiveness that can stall the plot. I closely identified with Phoenix, from the diasporic confusion to her emotional growth and maturation. Phoenix and Kai were a study of contrasts, and K.X. Song weaves a beautiful–if doomed–love story between them. I laughed and cried with them, and every interaction felt somewhat akin to Romeo and Juliet–a passionate love with the inevitable blade of reality looming on the horizon. Their romance smoldered on page, making the apotheosis all the more tragic.
Song also excels at creating atmosphere through technically-sound prose. Though this is her debut novel, her writing flowed effortlessly as the plot lurched from heart-warming romance to fiery rebellion against the government. Song’s use of setting (particularly weather and lighting) only heightened the tension pervading every scene, yet she also never loses sight of the emotional undercurrent in both Kai and Phoenix’s first person POV.
I was absolutely blown away by An Echo in the City and eagerly look forward to K.X. Song’s next work. YA Contemporary is such an overlooked genre, but I truly hope everyone gets a chance to read this book–it’s important we remember the citizens of Hong Kong fighting for their futures.
5/5 stars
Thank you to THE NOVL and Hachette Publishing Group (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) for the physical ARC! I received this ARC as part of an unpaid promotional campaign; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
An Echo in the City is an intimate and timely look into the 2019 Hong Kong protests as well as a call to action to Hong Kongers' current plight, especially with an ever-encroaching authoritarian power at their doorstep and a seemingly indifferent West. The characters are full of nuance and depth as they grapple with meeting their parents’ expectations and honoring their sacrifices while trying to forge their own identity and secure the futures they want. K.X. Song masterfully tackles the identity, disillusionment, and empowerment inherent to the teen experience with a poignant love story, both between the two main characters and their relationship to Hong Kong, a city they feel disconnected from but love fiercely nonetheless.
Kai is a young police officer desperate to win his father’s approval. Refreshingly, his character conflict is not merely glossed over as a cultural issue of filial piety (honoring and respecting elders through service); rather, his fear of pursuing his own happiness at the sake of others is woven into his character flaws. He’s constantly at war with himself as he tries to do what his parents and greater society expects of him while also honoring his mother’s memory by continuing his art. My only small (and by small I mean tiny) critique of Kai’s story is that I wish conformity and herd mentality explored more through his colleagues, but as Echo is a first POV, character-driven novel, I appreciate how much nuance Song was able to weave into his story.
In direct contrast to Kai’s tortured and conflicted character arc is the subtlety and nuance of Phoenix’s. Having grown up in America and coming from a sequestered, privileged lifestyle, her slow disillusionment with the ideology of revolution versus the violent reality was engrossing and meticulously plotted. Phoenix encapsulates the psychological effects of youth-led movements, yet she never loses her initial optimism and steadfast belief in a better tomorrow. I loved how loyal she remained, both to her friends, family, Kai, and herself–she could be indecisive, but she never fell into the stereotypical YA protagonist indecisiveness that can stall the plot. I closely identified with Phoenix, from the diasporic confusion to her emotional growth and maturation. Phoenix and Kai were a study of contrasts, and K.X. Song weaves a beautiful–if doomed–love story between them. I laughed and cried with them, and every interaction felt somewhat akin to Romeo and Juliet–a passionate love with the inevitable blade of reality looming on the horizon. Their romance smoldered on page, making the apotheosis all the more tragic.
Song also excels at creating atmosphere through technically-sound prose. Though this is her debut novel, her writing flowed effortlessly as the plot lurched from heart-warming romance to fiery rebellion against the government. Song’s use of setting (particularly weather and lighting) only heightened the tension pervading every scene, yet she also never loses sight of the emotional undercurrent in both Kai and Phoenix’s first person POV.
I was absolutely blown away by An Echo in the City and eagerly look forward to K.X. Song’s next work. YA Contemporary is such an overlooked genre, but I truly hope everyone gets a chance to read this book–it’s important we remember the citizens of Hong Kong fighting for their futures.
5/5 stars
Thank you to THE NOVL and Hachette Publishing Group (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) for the physical ARC! I received this ARC as part of an unpaid promotional campaign; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 25, 2023
In Chinese, we have a term called 人血饅頭 — quite literally, “human blood bun”, a reference to the short story “Medicine” by author Lu Xun. It translates (according to Wikitionary) as “advantage/profit taken of other’s misfortune”.
I think using the situation in Hong Kong as a pretty backdrop to your bothsides wish fulfilment diaspora romance fits this criteria pretty well.
For those lauding it as excellent representation in an uncommonly explored setting for a YA novel, will you say the same if the main characters were respectively a cop and a BLM protestor?
And hey, if you’re going to use 2019 as a backdrop, a brief Wikipedia search might be helpful. Condensing a 6+ month long struggle into two months with no regard for how events developed is a bit of a wild take.
(Even the setting is underdeveloped — but pretty backdrops don’t need to be super detailed, do they? Poverty in Hong Kong, with all its grisly detail, is too unfashionable these days.)
The characters are acceptable, if a bit lacking in the realism aspect. The writing is fine (as much as YA goes), with some weird choices on mixing languages. The storyline of two Chinese diaspora kids with difficult families meeting and learning how to live beyond the expectations built for themselves is an interesting one. It just didn’t need to be set where it was.
It’s funny how the author claims to be writing this book to counter the mass media portrayals of the period, but it does exactly that: cherry picking the most violent scenes and interesting soundbites, disregarding the realities of what it is to live like this day in day out. A human interest story to plaster over the front cover of your newspaper, here today, gone tomorrow.
But again, I guess that’s what sells well, isn’t it?
I think using the situation in Hong Kong as a pretty backdrop to your bothsides wish fulfilment diaspora romance fits this criteria pretty well.
For those lauding it as excellent representation in an uncommonly explored setting for a YA novel, will you say the same if the main characters were respectively a cop and a BLM protestor?
And hey, if you’re going to use 2019 as a backdrop, a brief Wikipedia search might be helpful. Condensing a 6+ month long struggle into two months with no regard for how events developed is a bit of a wild take.
(Even the setting is underdeveloped — but pretty backdrops don’t need to be super detailed, do they? Poverty in Hong Kong, with all its grisly detail, is too unfashionable these days.)
The characters are acceptable, if a bit lacking in the realism aspect. The writing is fine (as much as YA goes), with some weird choices on mixing languages. The storyline of two Chinese diaspora kids with difficult families meeting and learning how to live beyond the expectations built for themselves is an interesting one. It just didn’t need to be set where it was.
It’s funny how the author claims to be writing this book to counter the mass media portrayals of the period, but it does exactly that: cherry picking the most violent scenes and interesting soundbites, disregarding the realities of what it is to live like this day in day out. A human interest story to plaster over the front cover of your newspaper, here today, gone tomorrow.
But again, I guess that’s what sells well, isn’t it?
January 26, 2023
Not to be missed. A must read.
October 2, 2023
I felt like throwing this book across the room
June 4, 2021
Incisive, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. This book is both a beautifully told love story and a searing, unforgettable portrayal of Hong Kong's fight for democracy.
July 9, 2024
tldr: this book had the potential to go into so much more but unfortunately, it fell short, making it feel shallow. it was also problematic at times (read: “not all police are bad” as a justification instead of presenting crucial criticisms of the police system & police brutality).
there’s the pretty big issue of the male love interest being a policeman who deploys tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to comparatively defensiveless protestors. the horrific police brutality and the fked up police system was just met with “i hate the police” and was never really critiqued on a deeper level the way it needed to be. instead it was almost dismissed and the conclusion from kai was kind of like “yes there are horrible policemen but not all police are bad including me and i feel like i’m excused.” kai never really did any proper reflecting on this which kind of pissed me off. without saying too much, to me it felt like the only reason he stepped in at times was bc he had a thing with phoenix. not to mention his relationship w phoenix & the overall love story was unbelievable and tbh a little horrible. i was not rooting for them at all
the general atmosphere of the city was not really described in a way that did it justice and both small and larger meaningful details of the movement that would’ve brought the story to life weren’t there. for example, the hk protest anthem, protest symbols like pepe the frog, roadblocks, boycotts, more detail on the lennon walls (it was mentioned once just in passing?), how tear gas became the new norm… etc
many important topics & themes were brought up only for them to just be brushed aside without any meaningful exploration, which was frustrating.
for example the author brought up themes of class differences and privilege when she wrote abt how phoenix lived in repulse bay, a wealthy community with many expats, while kai lived in MK. i feel like this would’ve been a good opportunity to more effectively contrast how much each neighbourhood was or wasn’t affected by the political situation & delve more genuinely into the nuances of privilege, who is able to leave, who is more at stake in the movement, and who is more affected by the potential political changes, etc. in an attempt to bring in different perspectives, the author also brought up how many from china were viewed as brainwashed extremists in an argument between the characters but once again they never did any meaningful reflection on the validity of this statement either. i could tell the author tried to raise these topics to depict the complexity of the situation but it wasn’t done too well and unfortunately she just barely scratched the surface.
further, many key events of the movement were skipped which was ? maybe bc the author never meant to cover the full breadth of the movement, but i felt like it should’ve been covered.
i really appreciate that the author wrote about the topic and aimed to present a more nuanced picture of the situation, but i think the execution was off. also unfortunately the writing wasn’t greaaat and all the characters fell flat to me except maybe suki who was kind of a side character😭
there’s the pretty big issue of the male love interest being a policeman who deploys tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to comparatively defensiveless protestors. the horrific police brutality and the fked up police system was just met with “i hate the police” and was never really critiqued on a deeper level the way it needed to be. instead it was almost dismissed and the conclusion from kai was kind of like “yes there are horrible policemen but not all police are bad including me and i feel like i’m excused.” kai never really did any proper reflecting on this which kind of pissed me off. without saying too much, to me it felt like the only reason he stepped in at times was bc he had a thing with phoenix. not to mention his relationship w phoenix & the overall love story was unbelievable and tbh a little horrible. i was not rooting for them at all
the general atmosphere of the city was not really described in a way that did it justice and both small and larger meaningful details of the movement that would’ve brought the story to life weren’t there. for example, the hk protest anthem, protest symbols like pepe the frog, roadblocks, boycotts, more detail on the lennon walls (it was mentioned once just in passing?), how tear gas became the new norm… etc
many important topics & themes were brought up only for them to just be brushed aside without any meaningful exploration, which was frustrating.
for example the author brought up themes of class differences and privilege when she wrote abt how phoenix lived in repulse bay, a wealthy community with many expats, while kai lived in MK. i feel like this would’ve been a good opportunity to more effectively contrast how much each neighbourhood was or wasn’t affected by the political situation & delve more genuinely into the nuances of privilege, who is able to leave, who is more at stake in the movement, and who is more affected by the potential political changes, etc. in an attempt to bring in different perspectives, the author also brought up how many from china were viewed as brainwashed extremists in an argument between the characters but once again they never did any meaningful reflection on the validity of this statement either. i could tell the author tried to raise these topics to depict the complexity of the situation but it wasn’t done too well and unfortunately she just barely scratched the surface.
further, many key events of the movement were skipped which was ? maybe bc the author never meant to cover the full breadth of the movement, but i felt like it should’ve been covered.
i really appreciate that the author wrote about the topic and aimed to present a more nuanced picture of the situation, but i think the execution was off. also unfortunately the writing wasn’t greaaat and all the characters fell flat to me except maybe suki who was kind of a side character😭
May 26, 2024
I just know I'll be reading more from K.X. Song, because if your debut is this beautifully written, that's extremely promising. On top of the gorgeous writing, this is a thought-provoking, impactful novel about activism. I was initially a little hesitant to pick this up based on the synopsis, but the reviews convinced me, and I'm very glad they did.
June 7, 2024
3.75 stars
A very nice and informative read, I learned a lot.
A very nice and informative read, I learned a lot.
June 11, 2023
I received a copy of this book at Barnes and Noble’s BookTok Festival.
The premise of An Echo in the City was a worthwhile one; it presents a love story between two teenagers during the Hong Kong protests of 2019. One of these teens is a police officer in training, working, more to please his dad than out of a sense of duty, against the protestors. The other teen is a wealthy girl who is part of the movement, as worried as about what her academic future will entail as the future of her city.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I felt the author humanized the youth of Hong Kong well, but I’m not sure how I felt about how she humanized the police perspective (this may reflect more on my thoughts about the US policing system though). The scenes at the protests were well written, but I didn’t believe the romance as much. It felt somewhat forced, and like an obvious plot devise. I still found the novel very interesting though, and a worthwhile read to learn more about a contemporary protest movement outside the US.
The premise of An Echo in the City was a worthwhile one; it presents a love story between two teenagers during the Hong Kong protests of 2019. One of these teens is a police officer in training, working, more to please his dad than out of a sense of duty, against the protestors. The other teen is a wealthy girl who is part of the movement, as worried as about what her academic future will entail as the future of her city.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I felt the author humanized the youth of Hong Kong well, but I’m not sure how I felt about how she humanized the police perspective (this may reflect more on my thoughts about the US policing system though). The scenes at the protests were well written, but I didn’t believe the romance as much. It felt somewhat forced, and like an obvious plot devise. I still found the novel very interesting though, and a worthwhile read to learn more about a contemporary protest movement outside the US.
February 3, 2024
A bit on the fence on this one because overall, it's a great story. Set during the 2019 Hong Kong protests, it tackles important conversations on Hong Kong politics and the spirit of activism. Individually, I loved seeing Phoenix and Kai's character development and how their characters played into the plot: Phoenix realizing her photography and platform can be a form of activism and deciding to stay in Hong Kong to fight, and Kai dealing with internal conflict if he truly wants to be a cop or to pursue art. Together, however, their romance gave me the ick.
May 9, 2024
Не съм и подозирала, че тази книга може да разбие сърцето ми!
Когато си я купих, видях само, че е на китайска писателка и със "сладка" корица с момче и момиче. И разбира се, очаквах и "сладка"- любовна азиатска (китайска) история. Да, но не!
Никога не съм се интересувала от политика, обаче това тотално ме накара да се поинтересувам от събитията през лятото на 2019 година в Хонг Конг.
От там прочетох малко повече като цяло за "континентален" Китай и Хонг Конг и проблема, който имат. Малко история, кой е управлявал Хонг Конг и каква е била политиката му преди това.
И тук се преплитат и пътищата на момчето и момичето: той - учещ в полицейска академия, а тя - просто обича да прави снимки. Случайна размяна/объркване на телефоните ги запознава и цялата история се завърта.
Мечтата и двамата да учат нещо, което харесват и обичат, но реалността е друга. Единият е беден и нямащ много възможности, принуден да се примири с живота си, другият богат и имащ всичко. Сблъсъка на два свята и две различни мнения, които накрая може и да се окажат едно и също и събитията, които ги заобикалят и ги запращат в центъра на ужаса.
Втората част на книгата е опустошителна! Всяка глава, всяко изречение, което четеш е куршум в сърцето. И не знаеш до кога ще издържиш да четеш и дали ще стигнеш до края, за да разбереш какъв би бил той.
Ами, разбираем и приемлив край имаше, точно такъв, какъвто би бил поносим за всички. Няма рози и цветя! И точно това прави книгата доста покъртителна и силна!
Няма да казвам повече, ако на някой би му било интересно, нека я прочете. Обаче за дебют, тази книга е изключително силна и даже опустошителна!
Иска ми се някой да прояви интерес и да я преведе, но едва ли...:(
Когато си я купих, видях само, че е на китайска писателка и със "сладка" корица с момче и момиче. И разбира се, очаквах и "сладка"- любовна азиатска (китайска) история. Да, но не!
Никога не съм се интересувала от политика, обаче това тотално ме накара да се поинтересувам от събитията през лятото на 2019 година в Хонг Конг.
От там прочетох малко повече като цяло за "континентален" Китай и Хонг Конг и проблема, който имат. Малко история, кой е управлявал Хонг Конг и каква е била политиката му преди това.
И тук се преплитат и пътищата на момчето и момичето: той - учещ в полицейска академия, а тя - просто обича да прави снимки. Случайна размяна/объркване на телефоните ги запознава и цялата история се завърта.
Мечтата и двамата да учат нещо, което харесват и обичат, но реалността е друга. Единият е беден и нямащ много възможности, принуден да се примири с живота си, другият богат и имащ всичко. Сблъсъка на два свята и две различни мнения, които накрая може и да се окажат едно и също и събитията, които ги заобикалят и ги запращат в центъра на ужаса.
Втората част на книгата е опустошителна! Всяка глава, всяко изречение, което четеш е куршум в сърцето. И не знаеш до кога ще издържиш да четеш и дали ще стигнеш до края, за да разбереш какъв би бил той.
Ами, разбираем и приемлив край имаше, точно такъв, какъвто би бил поносим за всички. Няма рози и цветя! И точно това прави книгата доста покъртителна и силна!
Няма да казвам повече, ако на някой би му било интересно, нека я прочете. Обаче за дебют, тази книга е изключително силна и даже опустошителна!
Иска ми се някой да прояви интерес и да я преведе, но едва ли...:(
November 19, 2023
I feel like this should rather be a book focused only about the HK protests, or just ML ✨star crossed✨ love story (which actually never got past the draft stage IMO). Romanticising ✨enemies to lovers✨ with this sensitive topic felt so wrong? Especially when both leads didn't have solid stance with their doings — Phoenix going with the flow as the protester, suddenly changing her whole view of the future because other kids did it, and Kai joining the police forces, just to get noticed by his father, in the making being constantly in the grey area by saying how the police doings are wrong, and yet still continuing them. Yes the book ends like a stereotypical coming of age story, but keeping in mind its setting it felt like a totally wasted potential. As if the author wanted a contemporary dystopian background, and simply reused HK events in general, when they should've been treated with much more thoughts put into it, rather than "enemies to lovers" base painting. I do know the author was there during the 2019 events, and as an European I shouldn't judge their view on this topic, but still I am a human deserving to have my own opinion on this so here it is — if you decide to use traumatizing real-life events for your romanticised ✨coming of age✨ ✨healing family trauma✨ story, either rethink the idea or write yourself your own world building, as right now it felt like benefiting from the tragic story of the masses.
The writing wasn't bad, tho the characters didn't feel entirely polished. The story itself could pass for any other ✨coming of age✨ one. It just feels like there could've been more thoughts put into making sure these sensitive events wouldn't be used as a "pretty" backdrop, if it was supposed to help spread the word about what's happening in HK then.
The writing wasn't bad, tho the characters didn't feel entirely polished. The story itself could pass for any other ✨coming of age✨ one. It just feels like there could've been more thoughts put into making sure these sensitive events wouldn't be used as a "pretty" backdrop, if it was supposed to help spread the word about what's happening in HK then.
January 8, 2024
This was such a hard read, yet so enlightening about what's going on in Hong Kong, something you won't hear Western media really talking about.
reading one book set in every country in the world and am open to suggestions!
book 1: Egypt - The Alchemist
book 2: Spain - The Shadow of the Wind
book 3: Canada - Magic for Marigold
book 4: Japan - Tokyo Ever After
book 5: Belize - The Fallen Stones
book 6: Nepal - Breathless
book 7: Azores - The Tenth Island
book 8: Mexico - The Hacienda
book 9: Sri Lanka - You're Invited
book 10: Scotland - Do Your Worst
book 11: Hong Kong - An Echo in the City
reading one book set in every country in the world and am open to suggestions!
book 1: Egypt - The Alchemist
book 2: Spain - The Shadow of the Wind
book 3: Canada - Magic for Marigold
book 4: Japan - Tokyo Ever After
book 5: Belize - The Fallen Stones
book 6: Nepal - Breathless
book 7: Azores - The Tenth Island
book 8: Mexico - The Hacienda
book 9: Sri Lanka - You're Invited
book 10: Scotland - Do Your Worst
book 11: Hong Kong - An Echo in the City
October 10, 2023
3.5* A poignant story of passion, love, the nuances within individual diaspora experiences and what it means to use your voice and actions.
Whilst the romance itself didn’t do a lot for me, I though K.X. Song did a brilliant job with Phoenix and Kai’s characters and their individual beliefs and battles (both internal and external). I thought the sociological and political explorations throughout this book was really interesting, so much so that I kind of wish this hadn’t been a romance, as it fell somewhat flat in comparison and at times took away from the poignancy of Kai and Phoenix’s relationship to the protests, movements and their relationship to Hong Kong itself. That being said, this was an overall compelling read and one I’d happily recommend.
TW: racist slurs, police brutality, sexual harassment
Whilst the romance itself didn’t do a lot for me, I though K.X. Song did a brilliant job with Phoenix and Kai’s characters and their individual beliefs and battles (both internal and external). I thought the sociological and political explorations throughout this book was really interesting, so much so that I kind of wish this hadn’t been a romance, as it fell somewhat flat in comparison and at times took away from the poignancy of Kai and Phoenix’s relationship to the protests, movements and their relationship to Hong Kong itself. That being said, this was an overall compelling read and one I’d happily recommend.
TW: racist slurs, police brutality, sexual harassment
June 3, 2021
I read an early draft of this book and I can only say: GET READY. It is incredible.
April 12, 2023
Extremely powerful. It shows the nuance about social conflict that you just won't get from news sound bites that report on issues like the HK protests. Can't recommend highly enough!
September 7, 2023
THIS BOOK UGHHHH 🥹
June 8, 2023
AN ECHO IN THE CITY is an intriguing romance around the 2019 Hong Kong protests. The story follows two teens, Phoenix (Nix) and Kai, who end up on opposing sides. Nix comes from a wealthy family, and she has been preparing to go to Yale for years, following in her absent father's footsteps. However, as she gets closer to applying to colleges, she is not sure that what her parents want for her is what she wants for herself. When she first hears about the Hong Kong protests, she gets involved for mostly social reasons, but as she really begins to participate, she realizes that she is passionate about the place from where she comes and the political rights of its citizens.
Kai has recently lost his mother and had to leave his home in Shanghai to come live with his father. At 17, he is a trainee for the police, where his father works, though he would prefer to focus on his art. As a trainee, he is involved in their plan to infiltrate the protests and help to stop them, so when he meets Nix and she invites him to the protest meetings, he agrees while knowing that he will have to share that information with the police.
As things escalate and Kai and Nix continue to spend time together, each of them will need to determine who they want to be and what they want for Hong Kong.
What I loved: This was a compelling read for the star-crossed lovers romance, but it also brought a lot of information about the state of Hong Kong and the reasons for the protests as well as the injustice of police treatment and political dangers around them. Other important themes include determining your own paths/figuring out the future, coming-of-age, and complicated family relationships.
Nix and Kai were both compelling and flawed characters who are figuring out what they want and who they want to be, as well as falling in love. Kai is holding a lot of secrets about who he is, which would impact their relationship, but he is also questioning the things he is being taught as well as his father, who he has not known well. His future has been defined for him, but he is realizing that it may not be what he wants. Similarly, Nix has had her future dictated by her wealthy parents and their education goals for her. However, as she begins to participate in the protests and experience them first-hand, including police brutality, she redefines who she wants to be for herself and realizes what she is passionate about.
The story also does a deeper dive into the protests and the political oppression leading to them and ongoing during them. Readers may not be familiar with these except through news headlines, and the book helps to explain why they occurred as well as the fearful environment for people who are trying to make a change and care about their home.
What left me wanting more: I struggled with the relationship in places, especially with all the lies and the ways that these were resolved. However, this did feel very true to teen relationships and the tension was to be expected, given their opposing roles.
Final verdict: AN ECHO IN THE CITY is an intriguing look at the 2019 Hong Kong Protests through the eyes of star-crossed teen lovers.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Kai has recently lost his mother and had to leave his home in Shanghai to come live with his father. At 17, he is a trainee for the police, where his father works, though he would prefer to focus on his art. As a trainee, he is involved in their plan to infiltrate the protests and help to stop them, so when he meets Nix and she invites him to the protest meetings, he agrees while knowing that he will have to share that information with the police.
As things escalate and Kai and Nix continue to spend time together, each of them will need to determine who they want to be and what they want for Hong Kong.
What I loved: This was a compelling read for the star-crossed lovers romance, but it also brought a lot of information about the state of Hong Kong and the reasons for the protests as well as the injustice of police treatment and political dangers around them. Other important themes include determining your own paths/figuring out the future, coming-of-age, and complicated family relationships.
Nix and Kai were both compelling and flawed characters who are figuring out what they want and who they want to be, as well as falling in love. Kai is holding a lot of secrets about who he is, which would impact their relationship, but he is also questioning the things he is being taught as well as his father, who he has not known well. His future has been defined for him, but he is realizing that it may not be what he wants. Similarly, Nix has had her future dictated by her wealthy parents and their education goals for her. However, as she begins to participate in the protests and experience them first-hand, including police brutality, she redefines who she wants to be for herself and realizes what she is passionate about.
The story also does a deeper dive into the protests and the political oppression leading to them and ongoing during them. Readers may not be familiar with these except through news headlines, and the book helps to explain why they occurred as well as the fearful environment for people who are trying to make a change and care about their home.
What left me wanting more: I struggled with the relationship in places, especially with all the lies and the ways that these were resolved. However, this did feel very true to teen relationships and the tension was to be expected, given their opposing roles.
Final verdict: AN ECHO IN THE CITY is an intriguing look at the 2019 Hong Kong Protests through the eyes of star-crossed teen lovers.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
August 28, 2023
2 ⭐️
I tried to give this book a chance, really I did, but at 40% I made the decision to DNF. The book was just so slow and boring. Also, the way the main characters' ages were talked about made me feel creeped out.
If you are okay with an extremely drawn-out story with hits of politics then you might like this story.
**Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**
I tried to give this book a chance, really I did, but at 40% I made the decision to DNF. The book was just so slow and boring. Also, the way the main characters' ages were talked about made me feel creeped out.
If you are okay with an extremely drawn-out story with hits of politics then you might like this story.
**Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**
November 10, 2024
Зарязах я на средата, просто е леко скучна
May 20, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an arc of an echo in the city and I enjoyed reading it! It was full of such hope and emotion as well as addressing and incorporating the history of Hong Kong
May 19, 2023
Wonderful! Review to come!
July 3, 2023
An Echo in the City is a story of teen romance set during the protests in Hong Kong in 2019. Nix is from a wealthy family whilst Kai is a policeman’s son; both find themselves challenging their families’ expectations of how their lives are already mapped out. They meet after accidentally swapping mobile phones and despite their opposing roles in the protests, they begin a relationship.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the star-crossed lovers theme and I hope that readers will learn more about the protests and the reality of what is happening in Hong Kong but I felt uncomfortable about these two themes co-existing in the same story because the theme of romance seemed to trivialise the protests and the reason why they happened.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the star-crossed lovers theme and I hope that readers will learn more about the protests and the reality of what is happening in Hong Kong but I felt uncomfortable about these two themes co-existing in the same story because the theme of romance seemed to trivialise the protests and the reason why they happened.
March 14, 2024
This was good ya forbidden love romance! It makes for the perfect summer read! I loved the characters Phoenix and Kai and I loved following their journey together. This book was very well written had had me invested in the characters and the outcome of their story.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy for an honest review.
July 27, 2024
Attempting to shine a light of the unsung voices of Hong Kong's political turmoil during 2019, K.X. Song joins the legion of opportunistic, unqualified "authors" capitalising off of Hong Kong's marketability (Eastern enough that readers will feel diverse for picking up the book, Westernised enough that white people won't feel like they're not being centred), pretending to be at the forefront of the city's political scene in order to weave a cheap, shallow love story that could only compel faux activists of her ilk.
Filled to the brim with Cantonese and Mandarin phrases, in case the reader forgets the story is set in Hong Kong, Song sells an image of Hong Kong that only people who have never actually been there could be immersed in. Cultural references are either poorly executed ("more fluent [in Cantonese] than Sun Yat Sen himself"), mildly offensive ("[he] looks at me like I'm the reincarnation of SARS", as in the SARS that ravaged Hong Kong) or completely nonsensical ("eighty-nine fifty man", in which "man" is the Cantonese pronunciation of "dollars". We are in Hong Kong, remember?). This likely amazes the overseas crowd with yellow fever, trying to break out of their Americentric ways, but baffles us locals who just want to read a book set in Hong Kong that isn't completely garbage. Unfortunately, between Exciting Times, Batshit Seven and this, it's probably not going to happen.
The events that this novel touches upon are hardly ancient history, so it is stunning that Song had the audacity to rewrite a falsified version of it as a backdrop to a dry teenage romance - this is one of the most controversial moments in Hong Kong, turned into a Romeo and Juliet story for foreigners to ooh and aah over. Her insistence on shining light on diaspora roles in these events, with neither of her main characters being born and raised Hong Kong Chinese, is equally outrageous when those were the individuals with the least stakes in the situation. But clearly Song had to make the story all about people like her, who have the privilege to take off back to their cozy community in the United States whenever they want, away from the Eastern instability that they love to pretend to care about. Sometimes, diaspora Chinese writers need to learn that it is simply not about them.
Upon checking Song's Instagram, one will find several reels promoting An Echo In The City, all of them featuring clips of Asian couples hugging and sharing dim sum, as well as vaguely Orientalist shots of those old-fashioned neon shop signs in Hong Kong that light up at night (sorry to disappoint, most of the city is far more boring), while Taylor Swift songs play in the background. Not one peep about the events that this novel is supposed to cover. Not one.
I usually never claim that people on social media are obligated to post about every political situation that is happening in the world, since it might pose a risk to their safety. Song, however, has shown that she is not afraid of the consequences of speaking on Hong Kong's politics - so long as it gains her money and social clout, of course. The truth is that she simply does not care about Hong Kong unless she can use it as a shiny, exotic attraction to gain the attention of American readers.
As of writing this, Song has gained a six-figure book deal for a second novel. This one has good ratings. As an author, she has already Made It - but my only consolation is that this book will never be sold in the city that she has gleefully and shamefully exploited.
Filled to the brim with Cantonese and Mandarin phrases, in case the reader forgets the story is set in Hong Kong, Song sells an image of Hong Kong that only people who have never actually been there could be immersed in. Cultural references are either poorly executed ("more fluent [in Cantonese] than Sun Yat Sen himself"), mildly offensive ("[he] looks at me like I'm the reincarnation of SARS", as in the SARS that ravaged Hong Kong) or completely nonsensical ("eighty-nine fifty man", in which "man" is the Cantonese pronunciation of "dollars". We are in Hong Kong, remember?). This likely amazes the overseas crowd with yellow fever, trying to break out of their Americentric ways, but baffles us locals who just want to read a book set in Hong Kong that isn't completely garbage. Unfortunately, between Exciting Times, Batshit Seven and this, it's probably not going to happen.
The events that this novel touches upon are hardly ancient history, so it is stunning that Song had the audacity to rewrite a falsified version of it as a backdrop to a dry teenage romance - this is one of the most controversial moments in Hong Kong, turned into a Romeo and Juliet story for foreigners to ooh and aah over. Her insistence on shining light on diaspora roles in these events, with neither of her main characters being born and raised Hong Kong Chinese, is equally outrageous when those were the individuals with the least stakes in the situation. But clearly Song had to make the story all about people like her, who have the privilege to take off back to their cozy community in the United States whenever they want, away from the Eastern instability that they love to pretend to care about. Sometimes, diaspora Chinese writers need to learn that it is simply not about them.
Upon checking Song's Instagram, one will find several reels promoting An Echo In The City, all of them featuring clips of Asian couples hugging and sharing dim sum, as well as vaguely Orientalist shots of those old-fashioned neon shop signs in Hong Kong that light up at night (sorry to disappoint, most of the city is far more boring), while Taylor Swift songs play in the background. Not one peep about the events that this novel is supposed to cover. Not one.
I usually never claim that people on social media are obligated to post about every political situation that is happening in the world, since it might pose a risk to their safety. Song, however, has shown that she is not afraid of the consequences of speaking on Hong Kong's politics - so long as it gains her money and social clout, of course. The truth is that she simply does not care about Hong Kong unless she can use it as a shiny, exotic attraction to gain the attention of American readers.
As of writing this, Song has gained a six-figure book deal for a second novel. This one has good ratings. As an author, she has already Made It - but my only consolation is that this book will never be sold in the city that she has gleefully and shamefully exploited.
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