I’m New Here is a novel about a Taiwanese-British man who goes to Taipei looking for meaning, only to instead find a mysterious man with an unusual request. Sean has been fired from his job as a photojournalist and has split up with his girlfriend, and he’s at a loss, in Taiwan even though he feels caught between his heritage and not part of Taiwan. In a doughnut shop he meets Charles, an older man who seems to take a sudden interest in him, wanting his photography and skills, and as Sean is drawn into Charles’ world, things get weirder, and Sean can hardly be sure what is real.
The distinctive writing style of this book draws you in to Sean’s head, not always a great place to be as he’s depressed and self-loathing, full of internalised racism and a lack of belief in his own abilities. It’s hazy yet fast paced, reflecting the dream-like way in which Sean experiences things and the uncertainty around what might actually be happening or not, especially as the novel draws towards its conclusion. The kind of style, which feels similar to other recent novels, isn’t one that I’ve seen before used for this kind of caught between cultures narrative, and it works well to position Sean as an outsider who also seems to be alienated partly due to his own mindset.
In terms of the narrative, it feels almost like a film to me, with the photography element lending itself to making the book feel quite visual, and the strange events add to this. I liked this visuality, and the way that the narrative itself could almost have been a black comedy crime story at times, but also a literary exploration of alienation and depression. I’m New Here dives into the mind of a self-hating man looking for purpose, combining hazy ambiguity with internalised prejudice, and it’s a great short novel that was gripping and hallucinatory.
Fiendfully Reading 
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