THE HUNGER GAMES meets MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA in this dark YA thriller set within the walls of a lawless slum city where Jin Ling searches for her lost sister and Dai struggles to complete an impossible mission.
Disguised as a boy, Jin Ling searches for her missing sister, Mei Yee, who was sold into the brothels of the Walled City. It's a cut-throat world of gangs, drug-dealers and warlords and every day is a struggle to survive. Jin Ling relies on her speed and cunning but how long will her luck hold? When a mysterious boy, Dai, requests her help with a dangerous mission Jin Ling's inclined to say no - this is a world where no one can be trusted - but the mission offers her a vital chance to see inside the brothel where her sister may be being held.
Jin Ling and Dai join forces, but will either of them survive the mission? Is Mei Yee still alive? And how will any of them ever escape the stifling city walls?
With a fantasy setting inspired by Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong, Ryan's novel has a rich authenticity and an intense atmosphere, and its pace will enthral the reader from the very first page.
The Walled City is a raw and emotional contemporary, rather than dystopian. A fictional storyline set amongst the seedy lanes of a very real city that was once the underbelly of organised crime. From the very first chapter, I was enthralled and emotionally invested in Jin's plight. The depth of not only the characters, but the imagined streets of Hak Nam are simply breathtaking. Ryan Graudin is a sensational author that has created a diverse and vivid storyline that will captivate readers and leave them wanting more. Simply immaculate.
Ryan Graudin was born in Charleston, South Carolina with a severe case of wanderlust. When she's not travelling, she's busy photographing weddings, writing and spending time with her husband and wolf-dog.
You can visit her website at ryangraudin.com, follow her on Twitter @ryangraudin and find out more about the world of THE WALLED CITY at ryangraudin.tumblr.com