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gvstyris's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
For the first time in his life, he is unremarkable, and this feels like power.
Our Missing Hearts is quite a different read to Ng's first two novels, both of which I loved as a middle schooler for their slow pacing and rich character studies. Alternatively, Ng presents us here with a dystopian United States defined by anti-Asian legislation and discrimination -- which is to say, not particularly dystopian at all.
I struggled quite a bit for the first third of this book. Bird's perspective, although echoing a child's limited emotional intelligence, is a bit of a slog to read at times. I found Margaret's story much more compelling, but would ultimately argue that she suffers from a similar lack of development.
This novel is largely redeemed by its social commentary, which I'm excited to hear about from Ng herself at the Auckland Writers Festival in a few weeks.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Child abuse and Animal cruelty
linatheteafairy's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Kidnapping, Racism, Physical abuse, and Hate crime
Moderate: Confinement, Bullying, and Child abuse
kappafrog's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
snowdog's review
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Racism, Physical abuse, Bullying, Death, and Hate crime
courtneys317's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Physical abuse, and Violence
whatwentsent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Gore, Death of parent, Police brutality, Racism, Xenophobia, Deportation, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Classism, Violence, Death, Rape, and Forced institutionalization
internationalreads's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, War, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, and Trafficking
chaptersofchase's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Genre: Science Fiction
Trope: Dystopian
Format: ππ§
Pub Date: 10.4.2022
Star Rating: βββββ
"She returns in sudden flashes. Like scraps of half-remembered dreams."
I'm not going to lie; I was thrown off for the first few pages because I went into this book without reading the summary. I didn't want preconceived ideas, so I started reading and discovered that 1. There are no quotation marks, and 2. It's a dystopian novel. I switched to listening to the book through Libro.FM (because I can't handle no quotation marks) and then adapted my brain to take in a science fiction story.
Our Missing Hearts is a novel that will stay with me because it felt almost unsettling accurate, and prophetic. The whole book circles around love, friendship, and sacrifice and just how far some would go for strangers. The ambiguous ending left me feeling both gutted and hopeful.
π Perfect book club pick
π« No quotation marks!
βοΈ Authors note is a must read
π― Audiobook
π«ΆπΌ Themes of love, friendship & sacrifice
π₯Ί Felt unnervingly true & prophetic
β Graphic assault of a woman and her dog.
I recommend reading Our Missing Hearts if you enjoyed the poetic writing style of The Goldfinch.
______
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Graphic: Animal cruelty and Physical abuse