lj03's review against another edition
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Celeste Ng exquisitely crafts a horrifying authoritarian world which forces readers to hold a mirror to their own community and privilege – when do we decide we can no longer ignore the injustices around us? What does it look like when we are no longer complicit? Ng argues the importance of the singular person to impact communities and structural power. Told in heartbreaking prose through the eyes of a child and his mother, readers watch these “ripple effects” from the actions of individuals: Margaret, the librarians, and eventually Bird; all who are striving to preserve the memory of those the larger community has conveniently discarded. Our Missing Hearts reflects our world’s racism, xenophobia, and distrust, and imagines how these are dismantled through individual hope and action.
Things I liked: prose, themes (memory, family, trust), world-building
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death of parent
forceable child relocationannabulkowski's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Child death, War, Hate crime, and Kidnapping
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