Reviews

A Map for the Missing, by Belinda Huijuan Tang

wiffbiff's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

ipascu's review

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

jennnw's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

alattereading's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

erikarose's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

leo_lion_8's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

ashross's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

3.0

ady_soundslike80's review

challenging reflective sad medium-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

5.0

This story started out a little slow for me, but it was still engaging enough to continue. As I read on, I found myself increasingly absorbed in the memories, characters, and story. This is easily a new favorite book for me and one I would definitely recommend. 

joef3l's review

5.0

"It meant that if you could define what was absent, create a map for the missing, that was also a way of knowing a thing." 

A Map for the Missing is a question and an answer. Going home to where your blood is, beseeches questions on what you left behind and filling your responsibilities. Yitian had then sets his foot back to his rural village in China and inform her mother that his father has gone missing. From then, he reconnects with his first love, Hanwen, as they were separated back then for their choices. A lot have been made, a lot have been done, voices in the past lingers in him. He, at that moment, discovers that the word missing didn’t just imply what’s lost but what’s there. 

There are a lot of happenings, struggles, perspectives but everything went beyond my expectations. These compelling tinge sensations that I had felt when I read A Map for the Missing felt spotless and absorbing. This book had this unexplainable comfort and somehow, a nostalgia. I can’t comprehend this feeling but Tang’s writing style paves a way in my head that this book will definitely haunt me. It was beautiful, painful and yet somehow a glimpse of future, time, culture, home and life. 

carolinedwards's review

adventurous challenging hopeful

• 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

4.75