Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Destiny will be decided by a battle between heart and mind…. 

 

Jun Tai “Styx” Wong loves two things: playing the drums, and his best friend, Jin. But being a good Chinese son means he can’t have either—he’ll have to marry a girl of his parents’ choosing and settle into a traditional job. His move to the bigger city of Suzhou is both a blessing and curse, as living with Jin makes it harder for Styx to suppress his desires. Nearly dying while trying to eradicate his feelings serves as a wake-up call for Jin, who takes extreme measures to keep Styx safe from harm.

 

When given a second chance at life and happiness, will Styx be able to claim the future he wants with Jin, his bandmates, and his music? Can love and hope grow with the constantly looming threat of Styx’s parents ordering him home? Great things await—if Styx finds the courage to break down the wall that stands between him and everything he wants.

 

 

First edition published by MLR Press, 2013.

Book Review

The Great Wall has been an icon for China for centuries, but in this enthralling story about Jun Tai – a young gay Chinese drummer from a small town who transforms into a more liberated version of himself he calls Styx – it takes on an additional, more symbolic meaning. There is the emotional wall Styx has built to protect himself from discovery in a society where same-sex relationships are illegal. Then there are the “walls” of a culture that does not allow him to make his own decisions because family is more important than individual happiness. Styx struggles with both restrictions and his journey, one that almost tears him apart more than once, is at the center of this amazing novel. The descriptions of modern-day China, its sights and sounds and tastes, are based on Z. Allora’s six-year experience of living there, so they reflect reality as seen by an American immersing herself in the culture, giving the story depth and credibility.

As much as twenty-two-year-old Styx loves Jin, has loved him since they were five, he is unable to see that his feelings are returned. The “cultural imperative” that he has to marry a Chinese girl who has been selected by his parents, blinds Styx to the facts for the longest time. Once Jin convinces him to move to the bigger city of Suzhou, their proximity and the relative freedom from parental pressure sets in motion some changes. In his desperation to suppress his growing feelings for Jin, Styx has to go to extreme measures (autoerotic asphyxiation) to achieve relief – and it almost kills him. But Jin has a solution and it leads both of them into an emotionally much deeper relationship than they first realize. As he grows, Styx begins to come into his own and expands his horizons on every level.

Jin is half Chinese, loses his parents when he is younger, and with his uncle as a guardian, he has more freedom than most young people in China. He is determined to become a musician, play in a band, and have Styx at his side. He is very perceptive and knows enough not to put pressure on Styx to ignore his family. Jin is supportive and shows Styx an alternative, working hard to make their yet-to-be-formed band enough of a success to free Styx from his obligation. After all, Jin knows what Chinese familial obligations are like.

The part of the plot that focuses on the band forming is fun, but it takes a while to get going. There is a marked contrast between Styx, Jin, Tian Di, and Li, who all grew up in China, and Indigo, who is half Chinese and was raised in the US. Indigo may speak Mandarin, but the way he puts words together often has the others confused. It is a perfect reflection of the fact that some concepts do not easily translate, no matter that the individual words are correct. It illustrated the differences of an expat culture and that of its country of origin and the clash that members from both groups feel when they interact. It also means Indigo can be deliciously sneaky, and I totally loved him for the final twist he introduces to the plot.

Styx tells the story, and Z. Allora has done a great job getting his voice just right. The fear of discovery of the forbidden attraction to Jin, the heart-wrenching conflict between what Styx needs and his family’s demands, and Styx’s very gradual understanding that it is okay for him to love Jin and that they can have a loving relationship (not something Styx even thought possible) are very well done.

If you like romances where both characters have to struggle with their internal obstacles as well as cultural restrictions, if you want a young man come of age as he defies his past to create a future where he can be happy, and if you’re looking for a read that has cultural and psychological depth, multilayered characters, a wonderful plot, and a love that will not be denied, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It’s enchanting, thought-provoking, yet very entertaining and I am glad there will be a second volume, out a few days from now.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 280 pages/74697 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	09-January-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-great-wall-by-z-allora-9260-b