{"product_id":"underspin","title":"Underspin","description":"\u003ci\u003eChallengers \u003c\/i\u003emeets \u003ci\u003eWhiplash \u003c\/i\u003ein this intimate, bruising novel about the short and tumultuous life of a table tennis prodigy, as seen through the eyes of those pulled into his orbit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A staggeringly good debut, written with elan, compassion and wit'\u003c\/b\u003e Kaliane Bradley, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Ministry of Time\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003ci\u003eChallengers\u003c\/i\u003e, but make it table tennis' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eLit Hub\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An eruption of a debut . . . with meticulous precision and tremendous heart'\u003c\/b\u003e Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of \u003ci\u003eChain-Gang All-Stars\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A superior force to be reckoned with' \u003c\/b\u003eNeel Mukherjee, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lives of Others \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRyan Lo begins playing table tennis aged eight. His brilliant but ruthless coach sees a talent in him that might be nurtured into greatness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough an adolescence marked by hours of practice, matches away from home, clandestine relationships and a determination to win, Ryan ascends to the highest echelons of the game, just as he was supposed to.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut here he is now, dead before his twenty-fifth birthday, leaving grief and confusion in his wake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRyan Lo was meant to be great. What happened?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnderspin\u003c\/i\u003e delves beneath the pressure that forges a champion, and the vulnerability that makes a coming of age: the crackling intensity of a match, the push and pull of first love, and the great injustices committed within our closest relationships.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A kaleidoscopic novel . . . Zhao's prose is a marvel' \u003c\/b\u003eRob Franklin, author of \u003ci\u003eGreat Black Hope\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Leaves a trail of fire in its wake . . . An electric debut' \u003c\/b\u003eJenny Tinghui Zhang, author of \u003ci\u003eFour Treasures of the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An unconventional and stylish portrait of a table tennis wunderkind . . . this book will immerse you in its high-stakes world until the very last page' \u003c\/b\u003eAlina Grabowski, author of \u003ci\u003eWomen and Children First\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"E Y ZHao","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43515922907197,"sku":null,"price":33.24,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0597\/7689\/2989\/files\/9781529961485.jpg?v=1787556369","url":"https:\/\/www.palmleaf.com.au\/products\/underspin","provider":"Palmleaf","version":"1.0","type":"link"}