Title: THE WALLED CITY
Author: Ryan
Graudin
Pub. Date: November
4, 2014
Publisher: Little,
Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 448
Formats:
Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, Goodreads
There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run.
Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. Teens there run drugs or work in brothels—or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.
Now on to the playlist!
THE
WALLED CITY Playlists
Most
of my projects have a single playlist, but THE WALLED CITY was unique in that
it sported three different lists! The novel is told from three POVs, each of
them very distinct and different. I had to compile a trio of lists to capture
each character’s unique mood and voice.
JIN LING
Most
of Jin’s songs have a very quick tempo, which makes sense because she spends a
good deal of her time in the book running. Her voice is also very punchy, so I
tried to listen to songs that accented that trait in her.
This
song was one of the first I ever added to my playlist. It was actually one of
the initial “seeds” of inspiration I had for THE WALLED CITY. It popped up on
one of my Pandora stations one day, and, upon hearing it, I immediately started
imagining chase scenes through slums. I have a lot of Yoshida Brothers songs in
THE WALLED CITY’s playlist, but this is the first.
Another
excellent “chase” song from the Inception soundtrack. Whenever I listen to this
I can just see Jin squeezing through alleyways and jumping off of roofs, trying
her best to get away from Kuen and his pack.
This
song is less “sound-track-y” than the others since it has lyrics, but it still
has the punchy, running tempo that is so common to Jin’s tracks. The (very few)
words in this song really speak to journey Jin’s character takes throughout the
story.
I
looooooooove Zack Hemsey’s work. He is both a soundtrack composer and a really
gifted rapper. The album I listened to on repeat for THE WALLED CITY is called
“The Way” and is purely instrumental. To me these songs hold the same sense of
longing, desperation and hope that the book holds. This track especially sounds
like Jin to me, since it has a very punchy tempo.
MEI YEE
The
songs on Mei Yee’s list are very
different from her sister’s. Her’s are much slower, flowing and longing. Since
she spends so much of her time physically trapped in a single place, dreaming
of a different life, many of her songs whole that dreamlike quality.
This
was one of the first and most played songs on Mei Yee’s playlist. It is both
stagnant and longing, a sense I really wanted to convey while Mei Yee stares
out of her barred window. The haunting minor key also fits well.
This
is one of the Yoshida Brothers’ slower songs, and it fits Mei Yee’s scenes very
well. When I hear it I can’t help but think of Nuo and her zither, playing in a
room full of opium smoke.
Another
haunting song, with a heavy sense of foreboding. I listened to this a lot while
writing the hallway scene, where Mei Yee stops in front of Sing’s door. The
frantic strings match Sing’s desperate situation.
“Canvas” – Imogen Heap
I love Imogen Heap, and this song does such an amazing job of threading opposites together. Light-hearted chords with mournful lyrics, despair with lingering hope. I listened to this song a lot while writing the window scenes between Mei Yee and Dai. Mei Yee is understandably torn during these encounters, wanting to believe there’s a way out, but not fully embracing it. “I just can’t find the strength to keep you taut.” is a line from this song that really speaks to her character.
DAI
Dai’s
playlist is packed with lots of lyrics. Some of these songs are deeply angry,
others just rueful. All highlight the many different sides of Dai.
“Bleed It Out” – Linkin
Park
This song actually has some personal history for me. In 2007, I took a trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where I lived with a family in the slums for six weeks and worked with a program called Children at Risk. That summer was my first real encounter with third-world poverty and the suffering of street children. It was a hard, overwhelming experience, seeing so many children who deserved so much better in life. As I was flying home, I wrestled with a lot of helpless, angry feelings that I couldn’t do more for these kids. This song was on the airplane, and listening to it helped me channel some of my emotions. Dai has to work through a lot of the same anger and sense of helplessness through all of the horrors that he encounters in THE WALLED CITY.
“Some Nights” – Fun.
I’ve been a fan of Fun. since their album “Aim and Ignite.” This song perfectly encapsulates Dai’s insomnia, guilt, nightmares and denial of identity.
“Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck. Some nights I call it a draw.” + “But I still wake up, I still see your ghost. Oh Lord I’m still not sure what I stand for.” = Dai in a nutshell.
“Pompeii” – Bastille
I love this song so much. And as hipster as it sounds, I will tell you I was listening to it well before the radio caught on and played it approximately one-bazillion times. Bastille does such a good job of conveying regret and the destruction of dreams in this song. This one really speaks to Dai’s past and how he deals with it: “Oh where do we begin? The rubble or our sins?”
This
song is by the same artist who is on Jin Ling’s playlist, though this is one of
his rapping tracks. All of the characters in THE WALLED CITY are searching for
a place of safety and belonging, but Dai’s desire for home is the strongest.
“Finding Home” is an excellent song in conveying this sense and restlessness of
needing to be somewhere else.
Thanks for sharing Ryan I loved this playlist!!!
About Ryan:
Ryan Graudin grew up in Charleston
and graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Creative Writing
in 2009. She is the author of All That Glows and The Walled City. She resides
near Charleston with her husband and wolf-dog. You can find her online at
www.ryangraudin.com.
Her work is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.
Giveaway Details:
(1) Grand prize pack: It includes: A finished copy of THE
WALLED CITY, rice candy, a miniature lucky cat, a traditional Chinese paper
cutout of a dragon, and a pamphlet from the real Walled City Park! US ONLY
(9) winners will receive: A finished copy of THE WALLED CITY. US
ONLY.
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Check out the Tour Schedule for more awesome posts!
Week One:
10/27/2014- Novel Novice- Interview
10/28/2014- Seeing
Double In Neverland- Review
10/29/2014- Reading YA Rocks- Guest Post
10/30/2014- The O.W.L.- Review
10/31/2014- Parajunkee- Interview
Week Two:
11/3/2014- Xpresso Reads- Guest Post
11/4/2014- Reading with ABC- Review
11/5/2014- Bibliolatry Me- Interview
11/6/2014- Once
Upon a Twilight- Review
11/7/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
I've seen this book around on a few different blogs and it looks very interesting. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a page turner and heart-racer. Got to read!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read. A friend of mine has already read it and she really liked it. Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteI loved this one! I really enjoy the playlist, I think I like Dai's music the best :)
ReplyDeleteThis really looks good and I really like the playlist. The different playlists is a unique way to get a feel for the characters. Thank you for this giveaway and congratulations on your new book!
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