Had the potential to be a good family drama. I love cultural pieces and inclusion of cultural details, but in this novel those details overshadowed the actual story. The reading became tedious and D R A G G E D.
I really wanted to like this, and I did in the beginning....
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Interesting story! Enjoyed all the facts about the famous Route66. Good storyline involving three siblings each coping with their own life challenge, when maybe it is their mother who is trying to heal from a traumatic event from years ago.

What a beautiful story. Families aren’t perfect; they all have their conflicts, and that’s precisely what makes them so real. I loved the characters and how the author narrated and carried the story. The way it was written completely immerses you in the experiences of these three siblings on their journey back home. Three siblings with distinct personalities and three different ways of seeing life. Without a doubt, it’s a story I’ll remember for a long time.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

This story follows three estranged siblings, Bonnie Alex & Kevin. They learn that their mother in California is sick and would like to see them all together. At their mother's request, the siblings get together and road trip across the US to visit the Grand Canyon to complete a vacation gone bad back in the 90's.

The first bit I was really invested in the story, but as I got further along, I just found myself skimming because there was just so much filler and detail that I found unnecessary. The ending was a little rushed, I wish we got to know the family more.

However, it was still a good story, and I did enjoy this one.

I like this book in concept, but not in execution. What We Left Unsaid tackles a lot of issues - politics, gun rights, racism, historical segregation and alienation, colonialism, exclusion laws, misogyny. All of these issues are handled with care and healthy discussion and I did learn a lot from this book.

That being said, I came here for a fictional story about the complexity of these three siblings who grew up together but became estranged over time. While we do dig into some of their issues, I felt like a lot of this book was trying to check every box on the trauma and politics list and it became tiring. I slowly started zoning out for whole sections and caring less about the characters because every moment was a learning opportunity of sorts. I wanted more emotion, reconciliation, more history of their childhood together (beyond the famed trip), as well as more detail into the family and the generational effects of trauma.

In the end, I didn't even really get a full answer to the original question, which is fine, but because I didn't get it I wanted something else. Instead, it kind of just peters out into the final end of the story, which felt anti-climatic.

All in all, this book does an amazing job touching on the history of America and the otherness and strangeness felt by Chinese Americans in a land that doesn't include them in their history classes. However, I don't think it fully delivered on the story the synopsis sets out for us, and that is where the story falls short.

TW: lesbophobia, misogyny, classism, racism, micro-aggressions, guns, assault; mentions miscarriage, colonialism

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing a copy of What We Left Unsaid by Winnie M Li. I loved how the siblings learned about each others’ strengths and weaknesses and were able to recognize their own. The flashbacks about the original family trip to The Grand Canyon chopped up the story and although it gave more insight into the siblings, it didn’t have the emotional impact I expected. Even though at times the story was scattered and lost its focus, it was still a good read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

What We Left Unsaid follows three adult siblings who, at their ailing mother’s request, take a road trip to the Grand Canyon on their way back home to visit her — a trip they were supposed to take as a family when they were kids but that was abruptly cancelled without explanation. The story shifts between their perspectives and slowly unpacks a long-buried event from their shared past.

Many of the family dynamics resonated with me since, similar to the characters, I am Asian American, close to their age, and part of a girl-boy-girl sibling trio.

The emotional arc lands well by the end — things come together neatly and in a way that feels satisfying and true. That said, I struggled a bit with the writing style. It felt a little heavy-handed at times, with more telling than showing. The flashbacks dragged a bit for me. The setting also felt a little off in terms of timing: it’s post-COVID, but the characters are still using standalone GPS units and relying on the radio, even though they presumably have smartphones and access to streaming — not a deal breaker, just a bit distracting.

However, the story had some genuine surprises, and by the final chapters, the emotions felt earned. Disconnected siblings and frustrating parent dynamics aren’t uncommon, but the added cultural nuance offers a fresh perspective that many readers may connect with in different ways. Overall, a thoughtful read that anyone interested in complex family relationships—and fresh perspectives—will appreciate.

Thank you to Atria Books for providing this ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a very emotional read, loved it so much. So many topic and my heart was heavy after it. a must to your TBR

Estranged siblings take a road trip across the country to the Grand Canyon and to Ca to visit their mother who has had a stroke. This book is an exploration of their relationships with each other and their life choices. It is also a look at a traumatic repressed memory of a childhood road trip. Issues of racism, classism, homophobia, Asian immigrant children's experience and healing.

This is a beautiful story about identity and the security of knowing that regardless of circumstances or disagreements, you have a family that loves and supports you.

Thank you to Atria Books via NetGalley for the ARC.

What We Left Unsaid was quite a lovely book, but I admittedly have mixed feelings.

We start with the Chu siblings’ mom having a stroke and her request for them to come visit her after they make a trip to the Grand Canyon. She wants them to finish the trip they attempted in 1991.

It is important to note that the parents are immigrants from Taiwan, but the children were born in America. This does come up time and time again, as it does inform the story. The siblings are Bonnie, the oldest and responsible one. Married to a generational man. Kevin, the son, also well off in his own right. Since he is the son, there is a higher view of him. And Alex, the youngest, the free spirit.

Throughout the sibling’s journey to the Grand Canyon, you see how much of their relationship is fractured. You also see how they fall into their roles. Bonnie trying to make peace, and Kevin and Alex going back and forth sniping at each other.

What this book does well:
1. The sibling bickering. That was so realistic! It took me back to fighting with mine.
2. The sibling arguments (different from a bicker). The blame and resentment has built up, and that was an incredibly visual argument that puts you in the moment. You are in their shoes.
3. Accurate societal and familial expectations. We know what it’s like to have certain expectations put on us, and we know the impact and pressure it creates. We see it play out on their journey.
4. The message of belonging vs an outsider. Can you belong even if you were born there? What does belonging even mean? Do their parents feel like they belong? How do you make space for yourself and say I’m here and belong?

What this book doesn’t do well:
1. The amount of messaging. I need this to be said: There are so many important messages in this book. It talks about racism, misogyny, homophobia, immigration, politics, and sexual assault. I agree with these very important messages. HOWEVER, there are so many messages that I wonder if it was doing too much?
2. The ending. The book had a very strong and tight narrative in the beginning, that the ending sort of fell flat. It didn’t have the same strong narrative, and it was too neat of an ending that it was almost unbelievable for me.

A solid 3.75 stars, and I would recommend as I did enjoy the story

This was a rich and engaging novel. It tells the story of three somewhat estranged Taiwanese siblings taking a road trip on Route 66 at the behest of their cancer-stricken, presumably dying mother. The chapters move between the present day and 1991, when their parents took them on a road trip to the Grand Canyon--a trip that was ultimately aborted for reasons that remain hazy in the siblings' minds today. As we gradually come to see, the siblings were all impacted in varied ways by that aborted trip. I found the characters interesting, even though they could be a bit annoying at times. There was a fair bit of sibling bickering along the road trip, which may not be to everyone's taste but was believable to me. Some of the plot twists were a bit outside the realm of believability, but not so much that they compromised my positive assessment of the novel.

We all should take a trip like this! Families are ALL in need of this book. I'd love to be able to travel with sibs, j: ust to understand everyone different views. perception is a wonderful thing!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A trio of siblings go on a road trip to visit their mother after she suffered a stroke. The trip helps them deal with emotional trauma they suffered during a brutal incident during their childhood.

Absolutely excellent read the author has a lyrical voice that drew me in.The characters come alive I hares to put the book down.This is a five star read for me. #netgalley#atriabooks

i really wanted to love this book and in many ways, i appreciated what it tried to do. the premise was so deeply personal: estranged siblings, a complicated mother, a road trip that forces you to face not only family history but the larger question of identity, belonging, and what it means to be Asian American today. there were moments that resonated with me though: small reflections on family, memory, and how silence shapes us more than words sometimes. i could feel the heart behind this story. i could feel the ache of trying to capture something as complicated as family and diaspora.

but if I’m honest, the story didn’t fully land for me. it felt scattered at times, like it was pulling me in too many directions without giving me enough time to sit with the characters or their emotions. i finished the last page feeling a little distant, like I should feel something bigger, but I didn’t. and maybe that’s okay. not every book will crack us open. some stories will brush past us gently reminding us that even in the messiness, in the things left unsaid, there’s still something to take with us.

this wasn’t quite the story for me, but I know it might be the exact story someone else needs.

thank you for the arc Atria Books. I always appreciate them.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “What We Left Behind” has an expected publication date of August 19, 2025.
And you can check out all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) blog site.
I love books whose storyline pulls me in right at the start. “What We Left Behind” does that.
Unfortunately, it loosens its grip a bit too often thereafter.
The three Chu siblings – Bonnie (the oldest), Kevin and Alex, first generation Americans born to Taiwanese parents – haven’t seen or spoken to each other in years. That changes when their mother, living in southern California, suffers a mini stroke. She makes an unusual request via a Face Time group call. Thirty years ago, the family had set out on a road trip to the Grand Canyon, only to turn around following an unusual incident just an hour from the historic site. She wants her children to meet up, drive to the Grand Canyon, then continue for a family visit in California.
The logistics are challenging. Bonnie lives with her husband and three sons near Boston; Kevin with his wife and two children in Chicago; and Alex lives in London with her expectant wife Nya, who’s black.
Still, they agree to make the trip. But their resentment toward each other, as well as their parents, is evident. No one tries to hide the animosity they feel, partly toward each other, but also themselves, because each of the siblings has their own set of challenges in their personal lives to address. And much of that stems from the mystery surrounding why the family vacation was suddenly cut short thirty years ago.
From that positive premise, the tightly wound narrative begins to unwind into a travelogue of the U.S., with contrived situations thrown in to bring to the surface the personalities and backstory of each sibling. Some of the scenarios are a bit unrealistic, but they do help in understanding what the siblings are up against.
The climax is not much of a climax, and the great mystery is one easily deciphered from the periodic chapter flashbacks to the family’s trip thirty years ago. So, there are no surprises. But it is interesting seeing how each of the siblings not only gradually reconciles their respective differences with each other, but also within their own lives.
“What We Left Unsaid” is a quick and easy read, but the air does come out of the balloon little by little as the narrative moves forward. Three-and-one-half stars for an interesting but flawed family saga.

3.5 stars. This story had so much promise.

We follow the Chu siblings, now in their 40s with their own families in different parts of the world. They have long since drifted from each other, but when their mom suffers from a stroke, they are asked to return home after completing a road trip to the Grand Canyon - the destination that their family failed to get to on a significant day in 1991. As the siblings reluctantly reunite for this week-long trip, they piece out what happened on that trip thirty years ago and finally come to understand and accept each other.

The story had a very strong start. It’s clear from the beginning that the 1991 trip affected each of the siblings in different ways, and that unraveling the mystery of why their parents decided to prematurely return home that day will be the key to siblings accepting their parents and each other. Their resentment is STRONG, and being stuck with each other for seven days will inevitably help them let things go.

Under this context, the formation and start of this trip is satisfyingly realistic. These siblings clearly have issues with each other, and their reunion sparks some expected tension. Each sibling has a uniquely Asian American disposition, and I was eager to see how they would come to accept and appreciate each other’s differences in this context.

Then the trip becomes very fictionally eventful. The story became very plot-forward, and the literary aspect felt a bit lost. I could see how these events linked to the needed character development, but they just felt too far-fetched.

The mystery “reveal” ended up being a bit anticlimactic, and the ending felt inconclusive. I wanted to see a deeper focus on how they came to accept each other’s flaws and preferences, but it ended up being a bit more of an unaddressed mutual forgiveness and regaining affection for their parents. Considering the strong premise, I was a bit disappointed by the trajectory of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

I was intrigued by the premise but it fell a little flat for me.

As someone who is the age of Bonnie, and has a sibling in the range of Kevin and Alex, I didn’t find them believable as adults in their 40s. They were very incurious about the world around them and while you may regress around family, they seemed very young and immature,

I think having the incident in their childhood happen when they were much younger (how did Bonnie at 15 not remember basically anything??) and have this road trip take place when they were in college. I did not believe any of these people were old enough to be married and have children of their own.

The book was pretty heavy handed about race and social issues in a way that made it read like it was a book for younger readers. It was very informative in a textbook sort of way.

The mother’s health didn’t make a ton of sense. What is a “small” stroke that requires surgery weeks later?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC. I have mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to spend more time with the family in 1991; the current day bickering grew so frustrating after awhile. Eventually I started skimming it. It also felt like the author tried to shoehorn a lot of things, especially that big scene toward the end.