Ky and Minnie are school friends, both daughters of Vietnamese immigrants now living in Cabramatta, Australia. Several years later Ky’s younger brother Denny is murdered in a diner! No one will tell Ky what happened and she is determined to put this right, to discovered how and why her brother who was so good, so clever, so innocent should be killed in such a way! This story is superbly told, there is so much empathy, so much attention to detail - I got to know the characters, could picture them in my mind’s eye! The parents, the ‘naughty’ students, the chef, the wedding singer all so alive! A simple story but told with such depth and emotion! I could not put it down and the conclusion brought a tear to my eye! A beautiful, beautiful story!

Set in Cabramatta, a suburb of Sydney, in the 1990s this novel follows Ky as she struggles to find answers to her younger brothers unexplained murder after his graduation party in a Vietnamese society where witnesses won’t talk and the police don’t appear particularly interested. The book is so much more than a pure murder mystery. It’s also an exploration of the Vietnamese culture and of those who have fled their homeland in the hope of a better life for themselves and their children. Life is not what they expected and the pressure on the next generation to succeed and be perfect takes its toil. The family relationships within the novel are portrayed with all their flaws and they are at times harrowing. It is the tale of friendship and love but also poverty,abuse,drug addiction and violence and the choices that are made. The characters are well crafted and their history well told. I applaud the author for tackling this story with such honesty and authenticity. I will be looking forward for her future novels.

Ky Tran, returns home to Cabramatta, a suburb in western Sydney, which is rife with violence and drugs to attend her young brother's funeral. She also wants to know why he was brutally bashed and no one helped or saw him. This takes us on a journey of Ky speaking to all the witnesses she can find, but they all claim to of seen nothing. When the truth is out, it is heartbreaking.

The back and forth between present and memories were sometimes confusing and this could do with a good edit, but it was interesting. Thank you so much for allowing me an early copy of this, please give my personal thanks to the author as well as yourselves at the publishing company. I would love a physical, hard copy of this to show my followers (1400+) on my blog and give recommendations as well as the E-Book. Please feel free to check out my blog on Instagram where I will be discussing this book. My Instagram handle is The_Secret_bookreview. If you wish to contact me via email, my email is thesecretbookreview@gmail.com. If I have not already, all reviews will be posted on my blog, Goodreads, Amazon, and Waterstones. Thank you.

Ky returns to her hometown outside Sydney when her younger brother Denny is murdered. How can Ky and her parents carry on not knowing what happened to Denny on that fateful night. The local police are stumped and have given up but Ky is determined to find out the truth with disastrous consequences.

All That's Left Unsaid is a gripping and vivid novel of life in Cabramatta. While there is a murder mystery at its heart, this is very much a novel about characters, and the Vietnamese refugee experience in 90s Sydney. Told in alternating perspectives, Lien really captures the individual voices of all her characters, as each of them adjust to immigrant life a little differently, exploring themes of community and isolation, identity and survival.

All That's Left Unsaid is an important story of intergenerational trauma - a smart, sensitive and thought-provoking read.

Although initially a murder mystery, this book explores the lives of Vietnamese refugees in an suburb of Sydney, Australia. Seeing life through the eyes of the immigrants was surprising to see how their children were not Vietnamese and didn’t associate with Vietnam but weren’t Australian either, especially in the eyes of many Australians. An insightful and thought provoking novel.

ALL THAT'S LEFT UNSAID by Tracey Lien
Published date - 15 September 2022
DEBUT BOOK

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The writing & vocabulary was not to my liking and was very distracting and off putting. I might not be in the correct frame of mind at present, but would consider a second read of this debut novel.

I give a 2 star rating only as the book was not for me.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AND ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST OPINION

Although this book is a murder mystery where a sister returns to her home town of Cabramatta on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia to find out why her brother has been murdered and by whom; this turns out to be incidental to the story which centres around well depicted characters and their relationship to each other. The author clearly understands the difficulties experienced by the Vietnamese refugees when they reached a country whose customs are so alien to their own. This subject is very topical. The story is written from the perspective of the refugees and their families who want to keep their Buddhist traditions and to give their children traditional names while wanting a better life for their children but not always liking the values of their children who are growing up in multicultural Australia.
The story is based in a real town which had a huge drug problem, While trying to avoid any spoilers, drugs play a part in this story but what interested me most was the author’s understanding of relationships. The main character is Ky who is desperate to succeed in Australia. She moves away and becomes a journalist but returns with a mission to avenge her brother’s death and to assuage her feelings of guilt. I think many people and not just immigrants will be able to relate to the battles she has with her parents and in particular her mother. We learn about her friend Minnie who comes from a vey deprived and abusive household and can understand that she has many good qualities and with a different upbringing, her life could have been different. Again readers will be able to relate to the feeling of loss when a lifelong friendship changes and ends.
There is much food for thought in this book which will make it a great book group choice. Thank you Netgalley for letting me read a copy in advance of publication.

This was such a beautiful story.

A family of Vietnamese refugees forced to flee to Australia, Ky returns home in the event of the horrific, violent murder of her brother, a straight-A student, top of his class - Mr Perfect. We follow as she, frustrated by the seeming lack of action by both her parents and the police, attempts to gain her own sense of justice - uncovering what truly happened that night.

This was just phenomenal, and it’s a hugely important story to tell. The actual murder mystery element took a back seat (which I didn’t mind) in order for the true tale of the book - this is the story of the struggles of being a first-generation immigrant, the struggle to understand the sacrifices of your parents whilst trying to fit into a culture that does not embrace yours. From having to translate the police interviews because they didn’t bother to get a translator, to watching your parents accept that the country they fled to as a safe haven is the one who took their sons life - ‘all that’s left unsaid’ is a raw exploration into inter generational trauma.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

Ky returns to her home town following the brutal murder of her beloved younger brother Denny. Denny the youngest of the Tran family of Vietnamese refugees is the first to be born in Australia; the glimmering hope of a better life that they all had but also a beacon of goodness and kindness. Following his death no one will talk of what happened and so it is left to a shell-shocked and distraught Ky to sift through the pieces and find the truth and a way through the grief.

I'll be honest it took me until the end of the first chapter to really get into this book. I found the internal dialogue a little stilted and clumsy but by chapter 2 this book really hit its stride and my god did it pack a punch.

As a half-asian woman living in a Anglo country this is the first book I've read and really felt seen. Where I could fully immerse myself in the struggles of not just Ky but many of the characters depicted. I think for this reason alone this book is so important - that sense of belonging and justification in feeling a certain way but that you are not alone. From the great big moments where it is so clear you are seen as an outsider but also the smaller hollow moments that you can't quite place if you just aren't liked for who you are or if there is something larger at play. The feeling of fitting yourself into the small cracks of society to not stand out so you can fit right in and be accepted. Lien so perfectly articulated so many of my experiences with such nuance that it didn't feel preachy.

This was a fantastic book with a riveting story line and rich 3 dimensional characters. The depictions of who these people were and how they came to be the people they are now just blew me away. I will definitely be recommending this book to all and looking for more books by this author. I'm also so intrigued to read reviews by readers who have not had their lens coloured by shared experiences of these characters. I would hope this book would have just as much impact and hopefully help bridge gaps in understanding and compassion. But removing all the societal/economical parts of this at its heart this is an incredibly tragic and moving story of sister working through grief to try and gain a sense of justice.

Five stars!!!

Even away from the 'story' of the mystery of who killed Denny, the younger brother who's death his sister Ky sets out to investigate, this is a careful and insightful exploration of the complexities and conflicts of multigenerational immigration - not only on families, but friendships also. The story - and storytelling – strengthens as it progresses and Ky gets closer to both her lost friend Minnie and the truth. A strong debut. 3.5 stars.

This beautifully told story is set in Sydney  and follows Ky as she tries to uncover the truth about her brother's brutal murder in their hometown.

This is so much more than the tale of a murder. It pulls you straight into the depths of Ky's grief as she struggles to make sense of what has happened. What makes this book so brilliant is how it looks at the family relationships and friendships involved.

For me the location was a huge part of the story and I loved learning about the community in which it was set.
Overall a great read - fantastic writing and characters.

Once I got my head around the names and translating I got into ease to follow the story. I learnt a lot you become part of the book .

The story is set in a deprived area in Australia and centres around the brutal murder of a young Asian boy at a local diner. His parents have completely shut down in their grief leaving his sister to attempt to uncover the truth of what happened by interviewing everyone who was there that night. Her task is not an easy one as, despite the restaurant being occupied, no one seems to have seen anything.

This book gives a real insight into the lives of immigrants who are trying to make their way in their new world and the pressures often put on their children to succeed. As spectators, we are introduced to a community wary of white people and fearful of what might happen if they speak out. The effects of a troubled upbringing are at the core of this novel along with the loss of identity often experienced by immigrants.

The ending raised this from a 3* to a 4* read for me. The author didn’t go down the expected route but chose an honest, difficult path to conclude this novel.

All That's Left Unsaid is a beautiful read. It is sad, but parts of it are humorously written. I was hooked on the questions that did get asked and those left unanswered. . A book about relationships, I would recommend it. I was gripped from the beginning. In these days of inclusion, diversity, equity, equality and justice, this novel hits the spot.


I read about the tensions, the clashes of different cultures but ultimately, the book lands where it should - that relationships matter and there is a place for love, grace, mercy, community and forgiveness. The end had me in tears - absolutely lovely!.

#relationships #love #forgiveness # questions #justice

This was a challenging read but a very pertinent one, given the migrant problems all over the western world. The book is set in one of the outer suburbs of Sydney, which has become an enclave of Vietnamese and other Asian migrants who not only have to deal with life in a new country and culture, but also with the prejudice that surrounds them. Ky, a young Vietnamese woman needs to discover why her younger brother was murdered on a seemingly innocent night out with his friends - police haven’t made much effort to discover why the tragedy happened, and it becomes Ky’s mission to discover the truth, both for herself and for her shattered parents.
This is not an easy read and it takes the reader to some pretty dark places, but it is well written and gives an excellent picture of the cultural differences in society. A very worthwhile read and congratulations are due to the author for tackling such difficult subjects with compassion and understanding.

This is a really gripping book, set in a small town in Australia which has a large Vietnamese population and a massive drugs problem. Ky's brother is killed and no-one is able to explain why or how. Ky takes it upon herself to investigate as she feels partly responsible because she persuaded her parents to allow Danny to go out that fatal night. What she uncovers is a sad train of avoidable events. The plight and character of the Vietnamese people is strongly portrayed. This writer has a flowing style which makes for compelling reading.

An intriguing book that I was very keen to read. Ky is a great character and I warmed to her from the beginning. Ky's brother is murdered but no-one is prepared to tell the truth until Ky starts investigating on her own to find out what really happened. The book is set in Australia within an enclave of the Vietnamese immigrant community. This is where I had my first problem. The language, outlook, views are all really heavily American so it just did not feel that you were reading an Australian novel with Vietnamese people. The language, writing and tone felt completely alienated from the people in the book. It would almost have worked better if the book had been set in the USA with which the author is clearly more familiar . I do realise that Australia has a greater immigrant Vietnamese population so the country makes sense but it just felt wrong combined with USA language
Overall a good YA novel which is where the book seems to target rather than contemporary fiction.
The end of the book with the conversation between Ky and Minnie is brutally honest and very dark and highlights so many issues. Should almost be made compulsory reading. Articulated supremely well.
A good solid read

1996 – Cabramatta, Sydney.
‘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 with friends. That night, Denny – optimistic, guileless Denny – is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violent crime, and an indifferent police force.
Returning home for the funeral, Ky learns that the police are stumped by her brother’s case. Even though several people were present at Denny’s murder, each bystander claims to have seen nothing, and they are all staying silent.
Determined to uncover the truth, Ky tracks down and questions the witnesses herself. But what she learns goes beyond what happened that fateful night. The silence has always been there, threaded through the generations, and Ky begins to expose the complex traumas weighing on those present the night Denny died. As she peels back the layers of the place that shaped her, she must confront more than the reasons her brother is dead. And once those truths have finally been spoken, how can any of them move on?

“All That’s Left Unsaid” is Tracey Lien’s debut novel and what a stunner it is! It’s haunting, it’s captivating, it’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Or do it seems. Except nobody saw anything, nobody knows anything and nobody is willing to say anything, which makes Ky’s search for the truth to her brother’s untimely death a difficult one. Expect to feel all the emotions with this book; it is very evocative and raw. Thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel and eagerly await Ms Lien’s next book. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is looking to get lost within an absorbing and heartfelt book.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

I wasn’t the biggest fan - it’s well written but I didn’t connect with the characters and found the subject matter a little dark