kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Title: Our Missing Hearts
Author: Celeste Ng
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: October 4, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Contemplative • Forceful • Moving
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard University's library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve "American culture" in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic-including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.
Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn't know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn't wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I had been hesitating on picking up Our Missing Hearts since it's release last fall, mostly because dystopian novels aren't ones I typically gravitate towards. And while, I don't regret reading it, it is certainly my least favourite of Celeste Ng's books.
I must start off by saying, as always, Celeste's writing is absolutely beautiful! It's complex, layered and deeply evocative. And while, this book tackles a lot - including themes of family and sacrifice, as well as library resistance, racially motivated injustice, and the removal of children as a means of political powers - this dystopian novel tis an ode to motherhood.
When it comes to the characters, I'd have liked significantly more character development. Each of the characters felt very one dimensional, verging on young adult. Additionally, I didn't necessarily connect with the mother at all, even though I found her sacrifice to be selfless. I did have a soft spot for Bird as he'd gone through so much at such a young age.
When it comes to style, one of my biggest pet peeves is when no quotation marks are used, which was the case here. I know this is a stylistic tool used by authors, but it's just one I cannot get behind as I find it disrupts the flow of my reading. For this reason, I had to switch to mainly the audio (where you don't notice this fact), and the audio is very well done.
At the end of the day, Our Missing Hearts verged on being a little too political for me at this point in time. It is a beautiful reflection on motherhood, and a book to spark discussion and shift perspectives. Overall, the premise was certainly intriguing, but the execution was lacking. And yet, I'll continue to read everything Celeste Ng writes simply because her writing is a gift.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who enjoy stories of motherhood
• Celeste Ng fans
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"If we fear something, it is all the more imperative we study it thoroughly."
"Who ever thinks, recalling the face of the one they loved who is gone: yes, I looked at you enough, I loved you enough, we had enough time, any of this was enough?"
Author: Celeste Ng
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: October 4, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Contemplative • Forceful • Moving
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard University's library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve "American culture" in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic-including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.
Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn't know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn't wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I had been hesitating on picking up Our Missing Hearts since it's release last fall, mostly because dystopian novels aren't ones I typically gravitate towards. And while, I don't regret reading it, it is certainly my least favourite of Celeste Ng's books.
I must start off by saying, as always, Celeste's writing is absolutely beautiful! It's complex, layered and deeply evocative. And while, this book tackles a lot - including themes of family and sacrifice, as well as library resistance, racially motivated injustice, and the removal of children as a means of political powers - this dystopian novel tis an ode to motherhood.
When it comes to the characters, I'd have liked significantly more character development. Each of the characters felt very one dimensional, verging on young adult. Additionally, I didn't necessarily connect with the mother at all, even though I found her sacrifice to be selfless. I did have a soft spot for Bird as he'd gone through so much at such a young age.
When it comes to style, one of my biggest pet peeves is when no quotation marks are used, which was the case here. I know this is a stylistic tool used by authors, but it's just one I cannot get behind as I find it disrupts the flow of my reading. For this reason, I had to switch to mainly the audio (where you don't notice this fact), and the audio is very well done.
At the end of the day, Our Missing Hearts verged on being a little too political for me at this point in time. It is a beautiful reflection on motherhood, and a book to spark discussion and shift perspectives. Overall, the premise was certainly intriguing, but the execution was lacking. And yet, I'll continue to read everything Celeste Ng writes simply because her writing is a gift.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who enjoy stories of motherhood
• Celeste Ng fans
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"If we fear something, it is all the more imperative we study it thoroughly."
"Who ever thinks, recalling the face of the one they loved who is gone: yes, I looked at you enough, I loved you enough, we had enough time, any of this was enough?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Bullying, Violence, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Hate crime
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment, Classism, Child abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual assault
spiltink's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Excellent commentary on race and current events in America. Will tug at your heart strings as much as it is a call to action.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Xenophobia, Racism, Abandonment, Hate crime, Grief, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, and Bullying
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Cursing, Excrement, Blood, and Death
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-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? Yes
3.0
Bird has never known a life without PACT (Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act). It is effects every part of his life. At 12, he lives with his white father, who works at the university's library. His mother, a Chinese American poet, disappeared 3 years ago. One day he receives a drawing from her in the mail. This drawing leads him to discover her whereabouts.
After reconnecting, Margaret shares her story with Bird and the reason why she had to leave. Margaret is faced with such a difficult choice, wanting to be with her son but also wanting to fight for all the stolen children. In the end she chose to fight for the children and sacrificed herself.
I am glad we eventually got Ethan's POV, because the whole time Bird was with his mom, I kept thinking about how frantic his father must have been.
This book dives into many social issues and there is a clear parallel between events in this book and many real world events.
-With PACT, anything deemed anti-american is destroyed (drawing a parallel to the Nazis)
-Children are removed from homes with parents who are deemed sympathizers or unamerican (ie. residential schools, migrants)
-Racism and prejudice of Chinese Americans (ie. Japanese during WW2)
-Margarets parents just wanting to blend with their white neighbours
-Riots, protests, police brutality
Though this book discussed some very pressing issues, it felt a little flat for me. The pacing was very slow and the characters felt a little one dimensional. I was hoping to be hit with this incredible dystopian world, but I never felt fully emersed into it. Everything felt very detached from our main character, all of these things were happening around him, but he was never really a part of anything, never really experiencing anything.
Spoiler
After reconnecting, Margaret shares her story with Bird and the reason why she had to leave. Margaret is faced with such a difficult choice, wanting to be with her son but also wanting to fight for all the stolen children. In the end she chose to fight for the children and sacrificed herself.
I am glad we eventually got Ethan's POV, because the whole time Bird was with his mom, I kept thinking about how frantic his father must have been.
This book dives into many social issues and there is a clear parallel between events in this book and many real world events.
-With PACT, anything deemed anti-american is destroyed (drawing a parallel to the Nazis)
-Children are removed from homes with parents who are deemed sympathizers or unamerican (ie. residential schools, migrants)
-Racism and prejudice of Chinese Americans (ie. Japanese during WW2)
-Margarets parents just wanting to blend with their white neighbours
-Riots, protests, police brutality
Though this book discussed some very pressing issues, it felt a little flat for me. The pacing was very slow and the characters felt a little one dimensional. I was hoping to be hit with this incredible dystopian world, but I never felt fully emersed into it. Everything felt very detached from our main character, all of these things were happening around him, but he was never really a part of anything, never really experiencing anything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Hate crime, and Racism
write2run's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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: Grief, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Racism, Kidnapping, Violence, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Cursing, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Confinement
carly_zimm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
This book was heartbreaking, inspiring, challenging, and thought-provoking. I loved the characters and their stories, and the ending was very powerful. Especially with the current state of the world, this is a very important book to read and reflect on. Celeste Ng is an amazing author, and I would highly recommend Our Missing Hearts!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Hate crime
Moderate: Grief
bambooboy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? N/A
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Classism, Racism, Grief, Xenophobia, Animal death, Hate crime, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Police brutality, Abandonment, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs
msbarnesela's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
A dystopia that feels terrifyingly present and real. I could see the path between our current world and this kind of world. Although some of the characters were easy to criticize, I could also see myself doing the same as each of them in the same situation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Bullying, Death of parent, and Hate crime
Minor: Police brutality, Animal death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
alaina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Grief, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, and Kidnapping
pphector's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Colonisation, and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault and Forced institutionalization
vedpears's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
5.0
I think this may be my favorite book I read all year.
This should be considered an instant classic and to me is on par with 1984 and Animal Farm. Cautionary tales warning us all of the potential consequences if politics and media, and thus culture, continues on a certain trajectory.
It is incredible how many parts of Ng's book became reality while she was writing it. So many moments in this book have clear parallels in reality now, unfortunately. I hope we can turn American culture around and stop accepting the blind hate being paraded as patriotism.
I do have a favorite quote from this book - ""...unity required a common enemy. One box in which to collect all their anger. One strawman to wear the hats of everything they feared." This has been a worry of mine for a long time. Growing up here, it seemed really obvious to me that Americans need an enemy outside of us to focus on in order to come together and see one another as neighbors, or else we turn on each other. That is how our nation was born, so I suppose it makes sense that it is really hard for us to break away from that and learn healthier relationship skills, as a nation.
I feel this should be required reading.
Celeste Ng has solidified herself as my favorite modern day author.
This should be considered an instant classic and to me is on par with 1984 and Animal Farm. Cautionary tales warning us all of the potential consequences if politics and media, and thus culture, continues on a certain trajectory.
It is incredible how many parts of Ng's book became reality while she was writing it. So many moments in this book have clear parallels in reality now, unfortunately. I hope we can turn American culture around and stop accepting the blind hate being paraded as patriotism.
I do have a favorite quote from this book - ""...unity required a common enemy. One box in which to collect all their anger. One strawman to wear the hats of everything they feared." This has been a worry of mine for a long time. Growing up here, it seemed really obvious to me that Americans need an enemy outside of us to focus on in order to come together and see one another as neighbors, or else we turn on each other. That is how our nation was born, so I suppose it makes sense that it is really hard for us to break away from that and learn healthier relationship skills, as a nation.
I feel this should be required reading.
Celeste Ng has solidified herself as my favorite modern day author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Police brutality, Injury/injury detail, Death, Stalking, Bullying, Classism, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, and Sexual assault