Review of The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown

[Nadia Nieuwoudt]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown" by James Hanna.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown written by James Hanna allows you to enter the weird world of twenty-three-year-old Gertie McDowell from Turkey Roost, Kentucky. You follow her misadventures through a journal she kept. She made 8 journal entries where she tells us about the unusual things that happened to her.

Gertie left her hometown to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, but instead of acting, she became a star on a fetish site. She returned home to start selling dresses and soon after get arrested for unknowingly dealing powdered meth. A month after getting out of prison she had to go into the witness protection program but accidentally blew her cover by trying to become The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown. Gertie got herself kidnapped and sold into slavery after she lost a ping-pong match. After getting saved Gertie had to keep a low profile, although she then somehow ended up attending a gay pride parade and getting on a fetish float. Gertie is also very good at riding the mechanical bull and playing checkers.

I loved the author’s unique and humorous metaphors like “he was skinnier than an otter”, “I got as much talent as Wendy has burger”, “grinning like a raccoon” and “she slipped out of his grip like a lizard shedding its tail.” I also liked that while reading you can hear her Kentucky accent in your head. She writes how she speaks. Gertie is too trusting, keeps getting led astray, and makes a lot of mistakes. You soon start to anticipate the consequences of her choices. I started to like her character from the start. She is witty, straightforward and relatable. She will make you laugh and sympathize with her. Gertie shows signs of character development and growth as a person. She becomes philosophical and happier. Her life is always changing as she meets interesting people along the way.

I recommend this book for people with a sense of humor who wants to laugh but is it not for easily offended people. If you are looking for a bit of comedy and to read with a Kentucky accent, this book is for you.

I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars because it is a brilliant book. It is well-edited. I only found one error. Gertie’s misadventures made me laugh and kept me entertained. There was nothing I disliked about the book. When I finished reading I was left wanting more.

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The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown
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