Zhang Yeuran
World Editions
6 October 2026
400
eBook - EPUB
Contemporary Fiction
ARC via NetGalley
Cheng Gong and Li Jiaqi go way back. Both hailing from dysfunctional families, they grew up together in a Chinese provincial capital in the 1980s. Now, many years later, the childhood friends reunite and discover how much they still have in common. Both have always been determined to follow the tracks of their grandparents' generation to the heart of a mystery that perhaps should have stayed buried. What exactly happened during that rainy night in 1967, in the abandoned water tower? Zhang Yueran's layered and hypnotic prose reveals much about the unshakable power of friendship and the existence of hope. Hers is a unique fresh voice representing a new generation of important young writers from China, shedding a different light on the country's recent past.
Cocoon is a fairly slow-paced, quiet story, which may not suit all readers, but it explores some interesting themes, looking back on the Cultural Revolution and the impact it had on the lives of everyday families. The story itself, uncovering the truth of what happened between their grandfathers in decades past, was engaging and held my interest. The dual POV narrative worked fine for this, but there were times when I felt there was little distinction between the two voices, to the point I sometimes had to go back to check whose POV I was in, as you couldn't easily tell them apart. I am not sure if this was a result of the translation or if it was always that way in the original text too, but for me that was the book's main weak point, as more distinctive voices for the two characters would have helped to drive the story forward despite its generally slower pace. Nonetheless, the book expressed some interesting viewpoints and is definitely worth reading if you enjoy slower, more contemplative works of modern fiction. I am giving it 4 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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