I know The Walled City has some fairly mixed reviews, but I have to admit I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up on a whim and ended up devouring it in almost a single sitting. 
 It is a fairly fast-paced, action packed novel told in three perspectives, following three intersecting lives and stories, all set in the claustrophobic, dirty, labyrinthine streets of the Walled City. The city, which is based off an actual city, exists outside of the law and, as such, it is a haven for crime and criminals. It is home to street urchins, drug lords and prostitutes that live in a dank and seedy underworld surrounded by tall walls and buildings built upwards upon themselves to block out the sun. 
 Jin is a street kid and a thief, living as a boy because to be a girl in the Walled City leads to nothing but a life of brutality and prostitution. She is constantly on the run from the brutal street gangs and struggling to survive. But she came to the Walled City with a purpose, to find and rescue her sister, sold by their father into prostitution and now locked behind the bars of a brothel, somewhere in the city. 
 Dai, tortured by a tragic past, is trapped in the city, trafficking for ruthless drug lords while he searches for the one thing that will grant him is freedom. But he is running out of time. He has only 18 more days to find a way out. 
 Mei Yee has been trapped in a brothel for 2 years, wanting to escape but knowing that freedom is impossible. The girls who run are killed... or worse. 
 This book just worked for me on so many levels. The entire novel is written as a countdown towards something unknown, which creates this massive sense of urgency to the plot. The way the lives of the main characters intertwine is very well done and it was really interesting seeing how things unfolded. The plot is engaging and unique, generally well-paced with plenty of action, tension and intrigue to keep you reading. I was so curious to see how each strand of the story would intertwine. I loved the atmosphere and world-building, the grittiness and dirtiness of the world and the harsh realities the characters were facing. 
 I do agree with reviewers who felt that the voices of the main characters all sounded quite similar (they did). I'll admit I sometimes had to re-read a paragraph after realising I was reading from the wrong perspective, which was a little annoying. The prose borders on purple at times and the romance was definitely not my thing and didn't really add much to the story in my opinion. I did feel a little let down by the ending, with everything tied up too neatly and happily for my liking. 
 However, on the whole I found this to be a genuinely enjoyable book. I loved the world and the intrigue and found it to be a quick, compelling read. 
 3.5 stars.