Rating: 
Summary: 1/2 of it is fictional!
Review: I could not put this book down. The sensitivity of this young man and a spirit that wouldn't give up kept me glued to the pages. I felt as though I walked the path next to Kien as he struggled to find his way. I am 51 years old and remember when our troops pulled out of Viet Nam. I was too young to really understand what it meant to the people that were left there. This gives a perspective all should be aware of. It also reminded me of why the freedoms we have should be fought for if necessary. My personal thanks to Kien for sharing his heart wrenching story. I've never had a book cause tears to fall as this one did. The cruelty and abuse this young man endured were brought to life as he wrote his heart out. It's a honor to be able to experience, vicariously, a life which would otherwise go without notice. Kien allows us to learn about the culture and indifference is replaced by empathy. In conclusion another thank you goes out to all Vets who fought in Viet Nam. They walked a different path, no less traumatic. We need to remember them always. Things didn't turn out like we all had hoped. God Bless America!! God Bless Kien and all others in their quest for freedom and peace.
Rating: 
Summary: Thank you Kien!
Review: I could not put this book down. The sensitivity of this young man and a spirit that wouldn't give up kept me glued to the pages. I felt as though I walked the path next to Kien as he struggled to find his way. I am 51 years old and remember when our troops pulled out of Viet Nam. I was too young to really understand what it meant to the people that were left there. This gives a perspective all should be aware of. It also reminded me of why the freedoms we have should be fought for if necessary. My personal thanks to Kien for sharing his heart wrenching story. I've never had a book cause tears to fall as this one did. The cruelty and abuse this young man endured were brought to life as he wrote his heart out. It's a honor to be able to experience, vicariously, a life which would otherwise go without notice. Kien allows us to learn about the culture and indifference is replaced by empathy. In conclusion another thank you goes out to all Vets who fought in Viet Nam. They walked a different path, no less traumatic. We need to remember them always. Things didn't turn out like we all had hoped. God Bless America!! God Bless Kien and all others in their quest for freedom and peace.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful But So Sad!
Review: I cried so much reading this book. I realized that my everyday problems seem so small compared to what Kien has been through. I was fortunate to leave Vietnam in 1975 and didn't experience the taste of Communism. The United States has saved my life and countless others, and for that I am very grateful. I wondered if Kien ever looking for his American father, and if he ever went back to Vietnam? I would love to see this book made into a movie.
Rating:
Summary: YOU MUST READ THIS!
Review: I finished this book in a day. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! It completely absorbs you. Nguyen allows you to experience his thoughts, fears, love and hatred through his painfully acute maturation process. If you liked Memoir's of a Geisha, you may find yourself liking this one even more! Seriously,it is not common for me to finish a whole book in one day. I will recommend this book to anybody.
Rating:
Summary: A good read -- but clearly written for a book/movie deal
Review: I hate to burst the bubble about this book but it is hardly of the same ilk as Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes," as one reviewer writes on the back cover of the jacket. I am not at all convinced that Mr. Nguyen actually wrote this book, or that many of the events really happened. There were too many inconsistencies and hardly believable events (eg. the girl/love interest showing up in Saigon just as Kien is leaving. That's one heck of a long journey for one young girl to do in a Communist regime, un-noticed by her parents. It smacks of Hollywood movie potential...) While I have no doubt that Kien actually did live through much of what is written, and feel that this book is not a total waste of time, I could not help feeling that it was the brainstorm of some literary agent. I have several friends in the publishing industry and this is how many of these "authentic" books get written --- someone has an idea, or knows someone with a personal history such as Kien's, gets the bare bones for a story from such a person, then finds a writer who embelishes it into something for public consumption. And, of course, the movie rights. To make it authentic, it's called a memoir and is supposedly written by the subject. Overall, the book is o.k. and at times, very moving and sad, but clearly a commercial endeavor by parties outside of Mr. Nguyen's realm. On the plus side, I am sure that many Vietnamese immigrants are happy to have a "voice" that describes their own journey. I also got a glimpse into some history and what it must have been like to live through such a hellish time. I have no doubt that a sequel is in the works since the book was purposefully ended with many open questions/issues.
Rating:
Summary: NOTHING SHORT OF FANTASTIC!!!
Review: I HAVE NEVER FOUND A BOOK, THAT I COULDNT PUT DOWN, I WAS UP TILL 3AM READING THIS BOOK, THE CONTENT WAS SO REAL, I FOUND MYSELF RIGHT THERE WITH KIEN, AND IT BROKE MY HEART, HORRAY FOR THIS AUTHOR, WHAT A MASTERPIECE!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably true and heart renching...
Review: I love it! This was a read until you finish kind of book, I could not put it down. The details of the horrid series of events happening to this unwanted Amerasian child through his journey to freedom was painful, but I could not help but want to read on, in order to endure and share the pain with him. In speaking about the book to my grandmother who lived through the fall of Saigon as described in the book, I could not help but feel the terror and realism of the story as this relates to all Vietnam natives.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I loved reading this book, and I continue to recommend it to others. I must admit, some of the details seem to be unbelievable (i.e. I can't remember much of my life at the age of 6, but then again, I might have a really bad memory compared to others), but the book's message is unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: A poignant tale of courage
Review: I read Kien Nguyen's second book "The Tapestries" prior to this memoir. I find "The Unwanted" far more readable in terms of the simplicity of the language which portrays the memoir more convincingly- that from the mouth of a child.The story tells of how Kien and his family tried to escape the Vietnam War, how his once-influential mother was reduced from a bank manager to a fish soup hawker, how human greed, self-interest and distrust become evident in times of trouble et al. Positive traits such as immense courage, determination to escape for a better future were also encouraging. The decription of how Kien had to drag his brother and sister through fields of unknown land in search of his former maid- Loan when Kien's mother failed to show up after going to Saigon in search of more money to feed the family, is especially touching. It brought tears to my eyes and made me wonder how a teenager could endure such hardship. Kien was candid that he found his baby sister a burden- how many of us are so true to our feelings? What was also truly amazing is the tenacity shown by Kien's mother- a lady who was a former hand model but had to toil the same pair of hands for the sake of her family during the War. Never had she once given up- right to the point of Kien going to the authorities to beg for official stamps allowing them to leave Vietnam while she waited at the airport. It would be interesting to have a book on how Kien coped with life in the US and how he managed to complete his degree- considering that he hardly spoke a word of English when he arrived. This book will open one's eyes to the Vietnam War and will help one appreciate the destruction that the war brought. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A poignant tale of courage
Review: I read Kien Nguyen's second book "The Tapestries" prior to this memoir. I find "The Unwanted" far more readable in terms of the simplicity of the language which portrays the memoir more convincingly- that from the mouth of a child. The story tells of how Kien and his family tried to escape the Vietnam War, how his once-influential mother was reduced from a bank manager to a fish soup hawker, how human greed, self-interest and distrust become evident in times of trouble et al. Positive traits such as immense courage, determination to escape for a better future were also encouraging. The decription of how Kien had to drag his brother and sister through fields of unknown land in search of his former maid- Loan when Kien's mother failed to show up after going to Saigon in search of more money to feed the family, is especially touching. It brought tears to my eyes and made me wonder how a teenager could endure such hardship. Kien was candid that he found his baby sister a burden- how many of us are so true to our feelings? What was also truly amazing is the tenacity shown by Kien's mother- a lady who was a former hand model but had to toil the same pair of hands for the sake of her family during the War. Never had she once given up- right to the point of Kien going to the authorities to beg for official stamps allowing them to leave Vietnam while she waited at the airport. It would be interesting to have a book on how Kien coped with life in the US and how he managed to complete his degree- considering that he hardly spoke a word of English when he arrived. This book will open one's eyes to the Vietnam War and will help one appreciate the destruction that the war brought. Highly recommended.
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