{"product_id":"underspin-by-e-y-zhao-9781529961485","title":"Underspin","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChallengers\u003c\/em\u003e meets \u003cem\u003eWhiplash\u003c\/em\u003e in 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A staggeringly good debut, written with elan, compassion and wit'\u003c\/em\u003e - Kaliane Bradley, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Ministry of Time\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Challengers, but make it table tennis'\u003c\/em\u003e - Lit Hub, 'Most Anticipated Books of 2025'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'An eruption of a debut . . . with meticulous precision and tremendous heart'\u003c\/em\u003e - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of \u003cem\u003eChain-Gang All-Stars\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A superior force to be reckoned with'\u003c\/em\u003e - Neel Mukherjee, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Lives of Others\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eChoice\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRyan Lo begins playing table tennis aged eight. His brilliant but ruthless coach sees a talent in him that might be nurtured into greatness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut here he is now, dead before his twenty-fifth birthday, leaving grief and confusion in his wake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRyan Lo was meant to be great. What happened?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnderspin\u003c\/em\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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A kaleidoscopic novel . . . Zhao's prose is a marvel'\u003c\/em\u003e - Rob Franklin, author of \u003cem\u003eGreat Black Hope\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Leaves a trail of fire in its wake . . . An electric debut'\u003c\/em\u003e - Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of \u003cem\u003eFour Treasures of the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\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\/em\u003e - Alina Grabowski, author of \u003cem\u003eWomen and Children First\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47083939430636,"sku":"9781529961485","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529961485.jpg?v=1765359883","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/products\/underspin-by-e-y-zhao-9781529961485","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}