by K.X. Song
ASIN/ISBN: 9780316396820
Publication: June 20, 2023

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DESCRIPTiON

Two star-crossed teenagers fall in love during the 2019 Hong Kong protests in this searing contemporary debut 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 it: 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?

Content Warning: grief over death of a parent, police brutality, political unrest

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K. 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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REVIEW

There’s a lot to unpack in An Echo in the City. It’s about identity, place and belonging, and freedom weaved into a story of two individuals falling for each other during a time of political unrest in Hong Kong. It scratches the surface of these subjects as Nix experiences firsthand the purpose of protesting and Kai begins to question the authority the government maintains. While it does not delve deeply into the topics, it serves well as an introduction to how they are tied together and why staying silent is not always an option.

Having Kai and Nix’s relationship described as one between star-crossed lovers made me keep them at a distance. I wasn’t sure if I could read this if it was not going to be a happy ending. On the one hand, it allowed me to be a bit more objective about them, but it also meant I was not as invested in the romance.

While I tried to keep the romance at a distance, I was drawn to the political components of the book. What Song does best here is allow readers to recognize how each side truly believes they are on the side of “good,” protecting rights on one side and administering the law on the other. Additionally, it also provides a glimpse into why there are also so many who have chosen to stay silent.  

Ultimately, I believe An Echo in the City has the potential to do what Song hopes, encourage further research into Hong Kong’s political unrest.

**Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be part of the tour. Remember to check out the schedule and visit more posts. Also, thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with access to the book. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**

Favorite Quotes

There are so many quotes that resonated with me.