I loved visiting China and knew I had to read this book. I loved the characters but at times the book was very hard to follow or I wish there was further character development.

I visited China two years ago and wish I would have read this book right before going. During my visit to China and while standing in Tiananmen Square we were asked to take a group picture in front of Mao and then we were given a copy. I was disappointed that we were not able to hear the real history of what happened during the uprising and massacre in Tiananmen Square. We were told by our tour guide that to this day everyone loves Mao. When I travel to places like Prague, Budapest and Poland for example I love hearing the history and learning the truth. China was disappointing for the sole reason that we were unable to hear the real history. The truth today is still taboo. Tiananmen Tears is the real story of what happened in 1989. It is about the students who built the Goddess of Democracy and caused an uprising in the square hoping to establish a new China. Wei, the creator of the sculpture goes to prison for 30 years. It is a heartbreaking story of torture, intense love, and heartbreak. I highly recommend this book and recommend googling to read more about the Tiananmen square massacre. Thank you NetGalley and thank you Kevin Farran for writing this story and providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to reading more of your books.

This is a great read if you want a quick overview to give an idea about what happened to some of the students of Tiananmen Square. The chapters in the prison are harrowing and not for the faint hearted and I really felt for Wei. The book however is very rushed and I feel that the book could have been amazing if it had been in more depth, especially the ending. However it did make me want to know more about Tiananmen so a Further Reading section at the end might be an idea.