Lucy and Linh

Winner of the Ethel Turner Prize

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Pub Date 03 May 2018 | Archive Date 04 May 2018

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Description

Barnes and Noble Book of the Year
Winner of the Ethel Turner Prize

A stunning and important novel which covers important topics such as race, class and abuse of power in an exclusive secondary school in Melbourne, Australia.

Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates - and some of their teachers. 

Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, can Lucy stay true to herself as she finds her way in this new world of privilege and opportunity?

Faced with the pressures of fitting in Lucy must reconcile ideas about culture, self and attitude to carve out her identity in this hostile environment.

'Alice Pung is a gem. Her voice is the real thing' Amy Tan

'In a novel filled with strong visual images, Pung draws a sharp contrast between authenticity and deception, integrity and manipulation. Against the vividly painted backdrops of two very different communities, she traces Lucy's struggle to form a new identity without compromising the values she holds closest to her heart' Publisher's Weekly

'A candid and powerful exploration of family, culture and class… it is those of us who take our fortune and privilege for granted that I wish would read this powerful book' Readings Monthly

'Pung’s forceful writing reveals the diverse and often difficult lives of her immigrant compatriots too often hidden away from us by masks of discretion' The Age

'Biting yet compassionate' Australian Book Review

'Funny, horrifying, and sharp as a serpent's fangs' John Marsden

'Part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies, and part Special Topics on Calamity Physics, this well-observed and unsentimental novel taps into what is primal within privileged adolescent girls' The Bulletin of the Centre of Children's Books

Barnes and Noble Book of the Year
Winner of the Ethel Turner Prize

A stunning and important novel which covers important topics such as race, class and abuse of power in an exclusive secondary school...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781787198371
PRICE CA$10.99 (CAD)
PAGES 304

Average rating from 15 members


Featured Reviews

IN SUMMARY: LUCY & LINH is an un-put-down-able story about poverty, racism, and culture. A combination of Mean Girls and Fresh Off the Boat, with a sprinkle of The Hate U Give, this fast read will grab you with its thoughtful tale and authentic cast.

MY THOUGHTS: There's something about this story that is addictive, so much that I devoured this in three days. Pung tells an authentic tale of what it's like to be an Asian immigrant going to private school on scholarship in Australia. The little romance doesn't take precedent over the story. There was a twist near the end that I didn't see coming at all! My only qualm is the unrealistic dialogue; I can get behind speeches written deliberately with flowery language, but even with fancy education, I cannot imagine fifteen-year-old teenagers reciting poetry ad lib. Also, the constant use of names in speech can grate some nerves.

Overall, this was a great novel, made for both the casual and hardcore reader. This has become my favourite novel of the year!

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Yes, I'd be open to looking at more of her work!

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Netgalley: Hey, do you want to read this book about racial issues in Australia set in a private school featuring all female characters?
Me, who lives and breathes the Ashbury High series: Sign me the hell up.
Lucy and Linh is the story of Lucy Linh Lam, who has just been accepted into Laurinda’s all girls school. The girls have money, power, and they know how to use it. Especially the Cabinet, a trio of girls who injure other students, and play horrible tricks on the teachers. It’s up to Lucy to infiltrate them, and figure out how Laurinda school works.
I read this book in an afternoon, even whilst standing in the queue for McDonalds. I couldn’t put it down, Lucy was so fun to read, and I loved her family, and the life she leads. The story was complicated in parts, with all the names, but really enjoyable.
Two minor things, I honestly didn’t know what the Lamb was until Lucy spelled out that he was a baby. I couldn’t work out if he was an actual lamb, an object, or some sort of monster. Also, why is he called the Lamb? Why would you nickname the baby after a surname?
Also, honestly didn’t work out Linh wasn’t another person until the end of the book. I am a dum dumb though.
Thank you for Netgalley for this ARC.

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* 3.75 stars*
Lucy and Linh follows the story of Lucy Lam, a Chinese (but born in Vietnam) refugee who lives in Australia, as she is awarded a scholarship to attend a local private school called Laurinda. Told through letters written to Linh, we follow her story as she leaves all her old friends behind and tries to fit into her new school, surrounded by people who she feels she has nothing in common with.

I really enjoyed this book as it covers a lot of issues such as identity, friendships, bullying and just general school life. It was interesting to see how Lucy tried to integrate into her new school, and the pressure she felt academically as well as socially was something I feel like we could all relate to in high school (although certainly Lucy experienced this to a much higher degree due to her personal situation).

It certainly had 'Mean Girl' vibes and I've seen a lot of comparisons to that which is great! 'The Cabinet' as they are known as, are 3 girls who have the whole school wrapped around their little fingers, with their parents playing a huge role in the upkeep of the school. Of course they annoyed me A LOT (that's the whole point!), but Alice Pung has done an incredible job in developing personalities and individual identities for all the characters, including parents and friends, so job well done!

This certainly would have been a 5* review from me if it hadn't been for the ending which I felt was a little rushed (the last 20% of the book or so). It didn't necessarily feel rushed per se, but more the fact that a lot happened compared to the rest of the book (which is more character driven as opposed to plot driven). I would have loved to see what happened in more detail, and perhaps some flashbacks or involvement from friends of her old school would have been great.

Of course this doesn't detract away from how much I loved this book, and I would really recommend reading it if you love coming-of-age stories or novels set in high schools. The writing is beautiful, as well as easy to read and understand. It covers a lot of important issues - most predominantly that of identity - and I feel this is a YA novel which is essential to read!!!

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I really enjoyed this. It read more like contemporary fiction than YA, and the style had hints of Curtis Sittenfeld’s ‘Prep’.

I liked:
- Lucy’s parents. They were down to earth and yet caring.
- the exploration of insecurity in both teens and adults.
- the insight into culture - both Australian and Chinese-Vietnamese.
- the personal growth of Lucy.
- Lucy’s devotion to her family while desiring to escape her hometown.

I didn’t like:
- the pathos of the teachers.
- the lack of comeuppance for the Cabinet and their mothers.
- I was left a bit confused by the seemingly abrupt ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

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I enjoyed this book, the characters were well written and I found myself wanting to be their friend. I will recommend it to my friends however I am slightly confused. I chose this book for many reasons, one of those because it was advertised as soon to be published, however on goodreads it says it was published in 2014, with reviews going back that far. That aside, Lucy and Linh was a quick read that, despite the slow pace at times, was enjoyable.

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