All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

This is the story of a Vietnamese-Australian family grieving over the senseless death of their youngest member. Ky Tran feels guilt over the fact that she pushed her parents to allow her younger brother Denny to go to a celebration dinner at a local restaurant. The night ended in tragedy when Denny was beaten to death in front of a dozen people all who claim to have seen nothing. The police assume he was up to no good and have no leads. Ky's parents feel hampered by the language difference and culture so they didn't push the police. Ky, who is a journalist, isn't giving up and begins to search for and talk to anyone who was there that night. Ky's character is heartbreaking as she examines the town she grew up in and her old life and compares it to the town and people now trying to see where and how it all went wrong. Family, cross cultural differences and the cost of pressure that the children of immigrant families often feel to succeed all play a strong role in this coming of age story. It happens to be outside of Sydney Australia but the themes are universal and will appeal to readers everywhere. 4 stars