Everyday Movement

The well-rounded debut from Leung delves into the conflicting attitudes of student activists during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, which were triggered by a proposed bill that would have eroded the Chinese territory’s sovereignty. At the story’s outset, college student Ah Lei accepts an invitation from her roommate, Panda, to join her at a peaceful demonstration. Ah Lei isn’t “the most political person,” but she’s galvanized by the proposed bill and transformed by witnessing police brutality during the event. Afterward, she can’t understand how Panda sustains her carefree nature. Subsequent chapters portray other protestors, including Panda’s friend Ah Mak and his girlfriend, Chan Yuek, along with Chan Yuek’s sometimes lover Ho Sam. Each chapter shows how a character’s usual routine is disrupted by the protests, and how their bonds are tested by arguments over whether to use violence. Some of the dialogue is too expositional and flat, such as Panda’s claim that “without a democracy or votes that count, we can still speak with our wallets.” Leung is stronger when chronicling the inner lives of these young adults who find themselves at the center of history even as they contend with lovers’ quarrels, sibling rivalries, and other quotidian rites of passage. It’s an intimate portrait of bravery in the face of repression. (Feb.)