Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China

What a riveting read. I had half a mind to submit a full on book review but unfortunate I do not have the time. This is a book that will not disappoint. Well written from first to last. Enjoy!

Fantastic novel with a noteworthy ending.

The book, Forbidden City, by author William Bell, takes place in Beijing, China in Tiananmen Square around the time of the Beijing massacre on June 4th 1989 and is about a young boy, Alexander, age 17, who is very interested in ancient war, traveling to Beijing, China with his dad, who works for CBC to cover a news story. But while they are there, a student protest group interferes with Alexander's' vacation and everything goes wrong. Alexander gets lost within the group and finds himself in a strange part of Beijing, not knowing where his hotel is. Because of this protest, Beijing brings out the heavy artillery (armored personnel, army tanks, armored jeeps, etc.). One sight that Alexander saw that was very disturbing to him was when one of the students from the protest stood out in front of an army tank yelling "Stop! Stop!" The driver didn't hear him and drove right over the student, killing him.Later on in the book, Alexander gets back to his hotel safely by using his map of the area that he drew the first day he got to Beijing. After the protest finished, and Alexander's dad finished making the story, Alexander and his dad traveled a little outside of Beijing to a farmers field. Alexander was very interested in ancient war heroes. And in this farmer's field there was thousands of life-size army men that have been carved from stone and buried for thousands of years. Alexander has many war heroes at his house that he has moulded and painted himself. He always wanted to see just where those war heroes lay now. And he found out on this very interesting journey to Beijing, China.This book very well illustrates the theme, The Adolescence Experience, about a boy wandering off in the streets of Beijing and getting lost and having to take care of himself for a few days. Watching what Beijing is like during a protest and him hoping that he would never have to go through something like that. Plus learning a little more about ancient war heroes along the way.This is a great book for teenagers who like to read about action and adventure. For those who are interested in ancient war and history. I would recommend this book to everyone.There is nothing wrong with this book; it is the best I have read so far. I wouldn't change a thing. The author, William Bell, really brings out what it was like in Beijing during this time. While I was reading, it felt just like is was there. He isn't one of those authors who just explains the point and that's it, he adds a little laughter here and there. With comedy mixed in with the history of the Beijing Massacre, he made learning fun. To make the funny parts up, he made Alexander's' father a "comedian". He would make jokes up every no and then and he created a couple others the same way. This is just what life is like growing up. Learning and having fun are the main, key-points of being a teenager.Another way that William Bell expresses the Adolescence Experience is the student protest. This is how far some students will go to make things right for them. Some students just sit back and watch things happen while others, like the student protest on June 4th 1989, fight for what is their-own.There are many other points in the book that illustrates the Adolescence Experience, the above were just a few. The reason this book is a great book about this theme is because it is about a teenage roaming the streets of Beijing instead of an adult or older person. By looking at Beijing through the eye's of a teenager, it seemed less boring than what it would bel like with an adult.

When my english teacher gave out this book, i thought it would be a boring read (by looking at the title) and put the book away for 2 weeks. One night i started reading it and could not stop!!! i just kept reading till it ended.!! what a sad ended... Buy this book, if you want to have a great time.

Forbidden City is a novel based on the events that swept Beijing in 1989 and the impact of this on one person's life.The main character, a 17-year-old war history fanatic, Alex Jackson, traveled to the Chinese capital with his father, a CBC cameraman, to cover the Russian premier Gorbachev's visit. During this event, Alex experienced the excitement of being a reporter and of recording the events of the protest, but was apprehensive as the protest became more violent. When martial law was declared in Beijing, soldiers swept in, completely surrounding Tianamen Square with the help of AK47s and even tanks. The students and civilians who were part of the demonstrations were shot down without mercy.Alex lived out this horror as he was shot by a soldier while carrying illegal videotapes of the demonstrations. At this point, his future was bleak until university student, Xinhua rescued him, and tried to help him smuggle the tapes out of China. Alex managed to get to the airport with the tapes and escaped with his father. Sadly, Xinhua was not so lucky, gunned down by a soldier as she tried to help Alex. After the massacre and finally back in his comfy home in Toronto, Alex destroyed all his military models, realizing war wasn't a game to him anymore.Young people interested in modern Chinese history or modern international political events will be captivated by this book. Even those with no particular interest in modern Chinese history will find the pace and excitement of this novel quite compelling. This book shares same idea as The Red Scarf by Ji Li Jiang and The Power of Tianamen by Dingxin Zhao.I personally chose this book for this assignment because it was short but punchy. I read reviews, which recommended this book as exciting to read, and I certainly found it so. The best parts of the book were when his best friend Lao Xu was shot down while trying to stop the killings and when Alex finally gets back home to Toronto with the smuggled tapes. These were the highlights for me because they were particularly thrilling but also moving because they showed much bravery and sacrifice.I would definitely recommend this book. If you want a fast moving and gripping story, you too will enjoy this novel.

An enthralling and exciting look at the incredible massacre at Tiananmen Square in 1989 in beijing, China. I would recommend this book to anyone! Dont listen to bad reviews- this book was great!

Okay, This book matched my expectations, which weren't that high, but the action and molotov cocktails earned a three star rating. Anyway, I had to read this novel for a book report (I wanted to read "To Kill A Mockingbird" but I couldn't), and I found in some parts hard to put down, but others, just plain boring, like the Chinese storytelling part. The main character, Alex, is a total dingdong. I mean, who paints plastic men all day long? What a freak. Three stars.