Review of The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown

[Bookfest101]

[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 by James Hanna is a beautiful story written in the first-person narrative about a vibrant, and ambitious young lady whose desire for success took her to places one could only imagine. From being a star of a fetish adult website, to a talented dressmaker, a ping-pong champion (though not fully recognized), all the way to become the undisputed checker champion in prison; her journey was truly adventurous.

As already mentioned, the book was written in the first-person narrative; through the eyes and minds of our protagonist, Gertie. The simple everyday language employed fits in well with the tale of an ordinary high school girl from the small town of Turkey Roost, Kentucky. The book is divided into several sections, with each one telling a different story of the life adventures of Gertie. The author's use of humor to tell his story made it more interesting.

Gertie is a unique character. She is simple, yet ignorant of most things. This naivety puts her into circumstances throughout the book that should have landed her in more severe and traumatizing ordeals, but the author managed to create incredible and humorous outcomes of them in a way that made me feel happy for Gertie. But she is not alone. A lot of teens today, fall in this category. Without guides and proper help, they put themselves in situations that are at best terrible due to the choices that they make. We all need some kind of help and direction.

Gertie McDowell could also be viewed as a determined character. This is because she strives for success in all she does. Irrespective of where she finds herself and the surrounding circumstances, she tries to put in her best and doesn't allow challenges and obstacles to deter her. She recognizes her mistakes and tries to make amends. For example, in the second story, she realized that her marriage to Benny Pearman was a mistake. And instead of forcing things to work as most people would have done today, she simply allowed things to end gently.

One important lesson I would like to point out is Gertie's hopeful nature. She retained a funny and optimistic attitude throughout the book. She always strives for something good and constantly prefers to see the good side in every gloomy circumstance. I was amazed that while I could see the danger and trouble that lie ahead as a result of her actions, she just couldn't see any negative out of the same situation. However, because the situation isn't as bad to her as it is to me, the reader, she can always see a possible way out of the problem. That is a deliberate act from the author which is incredible.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of it's many life lessons. It is also full of humour and its stories are relatable. I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors while reading the book. I would recommend this work to not just teenagers but adults because behind the fun and the unique language, the lessons here are for everyone.

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The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown
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[honeybear_11001]

Seems like a delightful read. Thanks for the wonderful summary and review. Can't wait to read it.

[Margi zuu202]

young girl named gertie she dig herself into trouble ..i recommend