Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

27 reviews

rinakei's review against another edition

There was a moment that was a little bit too triggering for me as an Asian-American, and I haven't been able to get back into a comfortable mindset to read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

There is a description of an (content warning: assault, racism, animal abuse/death)

Asian woman assaulted by a man on the sidewalk, who then subsequently steps on her dog, likely killing it.

I needed to stop reading the book shortly after this event occurs in the story.

alimackenzie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

3/3.5 stars. I may change this as I sit with it more, but right now this is how I’m feeling. It’s unfortunate as the subject matter is so important and timely, and I LOVED her other books, but this one just felt “meh” in the end for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Kidnapping, and Hate crime

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

yuyine's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Formidable roman sur le racisme, les dérives autoritaires actuelles et la beauté du militantisme pacifique, Nos cœurs disparus est également un magnifique récit d’amour filial. Entre volonté pour lutter pour ses valeurs et nécessité de protéger les siens, le récit de Margaret est une histoire bouleversante qui porte en creux la volonté d’un monde plus juste, réenchanté par les histoires. Coup de cœur.

Critique complète sur yuyine.be (https://yuyine.be/review/book/nos-coeurs-disparus)!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Racism, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent

karmapen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Racism, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Death of parent

teeclecticreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I can admit that this is the second best book I’ve ever read. No joke. Celeste Ng is such a talented writer. I love how she always uses these young main characters who make such a huge difference as they find their own way. Bird’s curiosity, determination and wonder was nicely balanced with his naivety and ignorance of the world. And Sadie! Ugh that firecracker. She was a delight to read about.

In terms of the plot, she captured xenophobia, racism and animal abuse in a way that was still hard to read, hurtful but tasteful enough to not be stomach-curdling. It’s so sad that this was a word of fiction but still spoke to a very-present American reality. Having to deny who you are and the people you love because of their cultural background sucks.

The pacing was perfect. Things didn’t happen too quickly but it also wasn’t too slow. We got the right amount of context to figure out what was happening and what would happen. First Bird’s past, then Margaret’s, and those both helped form the future details. I still can’t believe that cliffhanger though! It was so sad 😭 I wish we could know what happens after.

I read the physical book along with the audiobook and it really enhanced the experience. Celeste and Lucy Liu did a great job bringing the story to auditory life. The ooooooonly little qualm I had was the fact that there were no quotation marks or chapter labels. Otherwise, absolutely a 5 star read and and eye-opener.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

It sheds a light on the removal and replacement of children from their families which can be a sensitive topic for some.

chelseylb1988's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Colonisation, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Violence, Xenophobia, and Grief

amberjackonski's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Racism

Moderate: Hate crime and Death of parent

Minor: Animal cruelty

kappafrog's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

How eerie reading this in between seeing headlines about book bans in Florida. This was a compelling dystopian novel. I agree with other reviewers that the second half struggled at times compared to the first half.

The conceit of Margaret narrating her whole life to Bird didn't always work when she was going into intimate details which were great for the reader but made less sense as dialogue with her son. I was also disappointed in the lack of information about the aftermath of Margaret's plan. We got a few flashforward glimpses but no information on the political fallout.

The writing was really beautiful. I liked seeing the world through Bird's eyes, a child's perspective in a novel aimed at adults. I enjoyed the use of folktales, etymology, and gardening through out. There were many horrifying bits in the book. I can tell it will stay with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, and Deportation

Minor: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Medical content, Rape, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Islamophobia, and Slavery

dananana's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Police brutality, Hate crime, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Deportation

c_serpent's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Celeste Ng's writing remains delicious. 

I loved how Ng handled familial love in this. In that same vein, I love that even though Bird's mother and father were separated, they were in love. I think it would have been easier to write tension and resentment in there, and Ng didn't, and I love her for that. Sometimes, people are in love, and circumstance doesn't destroy that.

I love that Ng touched on the tensions between Asian and Black communities historically in the USA. I found her world believable, maybe too believable, but her writing was beautiful beautiful.  I wanted this book to end differently than it did. I like a story with a purely happy ending, which isn't what this was, although it remained hopeful, and for that it retains almost all stars.

One half star has been removed because ? It was very good, but it isn't a book I want to rate five stars, and these ratings are arbitrary. One star for yarn bombing, one star for Sadie, and two for Bird. 

Total score: 4.5/5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Deportation