Underspin

A Novel

By: E.Y. Zhao

Narrated by: Austin Ku

"E. Y. Zhao's Underspin is an eruption of a debut. This novel displays a wondrous ability that renders both the central sport and lives that weave around it with meticulous precision and tremendous heart. The beauty of sport, the spirit of desire and the sacrifice required for greatness are all captured here in this stunner."—Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Chain-Gang All-Stars

Stay True meets Headshot in this intimate, bruising coming-of-age novel about the short and tumultuous life of a charismatic and enigmatic table tennis prodigy, as seen through the eyes of those pulled into his orbit.

Ryan Lo begins playing table tennis at age eight, under the tutelage of his brilliant but ruthless coach Kristian, who sees talent in him that might be nurtured into greatness. Throughout an adolescence circumscribed by Kristian's demanding behavior, Ryan forms jealousy-fueled and mutually adoring friendships with his teammates and competitors, falls in love with fellow table tennis star Anabel Yu, and above all, wins championships.

By twenty-one, Ryan ascends all the way to the German Bundesliga, the highest echelon of international table tennis, just as he was supposed to, but he doesn't stay there. It is clear to all that Ryan Lo was meant to be the greatest in the world. Instead, he abandons competition and is dead before his twenty-fifth birthday. What happened?

In crisp, evocative prose, Underspin masterfully delves beneath the relentless pressure that forges a champion, considering adolescence, estrangement, and the great injustices committed within our closest relationships. A love letter to an underdog sports circuit and a tender exploration of love, loss, and abuse, Underspin is a bildungsroman and literary puzzle for readers of Rita Bullwinkel, Hua Hsu, Susan Choi, and Brandon Taylor.

©2025 by E.Y. Zhao. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Austin Ku's understated narration evokes the melancholy atmosphere of this haunting coming-of-age story set in the world of competitive table tennis. Ku keeps emotions to a minimum while still underscoring the heavy mood of the story."—AudioFile Magazine

"Underspin is a kaleidoscopic novel about many things: the dark center of hurt, its ripples, and the unpayable costs of ambition. Zhao's prose is a marvel—sly, seductive, and cutthroat as a kill shot."—Rob Franklin, author of Great Black Hope

"E. Y. Zhao’s Underspin hurtles down the line and leaves a trail of fire in its wake. An electric debut."—Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of Four Treasures of the Sky

Interesting world. Poor performance.

I really liked the subject matter, characters, and story structure. I was skeptical of the jumping around between timelines and perspectives at first but really liked it in the end. It gave you a fully realized picture of a complex world with multi-dimensional characters. Unfortunately the narration is really poor. Just not even close to the right fit for the story. They should re-record this. Would be better with a more natural and emotional performance.