Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

226 reviews

janellejx's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? No

2.75

The plot/premise was really promising but the execution was much too slow and frankly boring. I was quite disappointed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism

gvstyris's review

dark emotional 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? 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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: Racial slurs

Minor: Child abuse and Animal cruelty

ekclar's review

emotional reflective 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

jennipea382's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Violence, Death, Animal cruelty, Police brutality, and Sexual assault

jaysaysnope's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.0

this is so well-written, but i am just losing my patience with creators trying to convince us that nonviolent protest will topple violent empires. also, super weird to me that IRL, the laws and public rhetoric about indoctrinating children with harmful ideas have most recently (and aggressively) been aimed at trans people, but there’s not a single mention of queerness in this book, let alone trans identity. understanding the intersections of oppression is more important now than ever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Animal death, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Pandemic/Epidemic

ksilvio's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death of parent, Violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Gun violence and Police brutality

permanme's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia

squarahreads's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Abandonment

caoxtina's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Xenophobia

hamstringy's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

Celeste Ng, for me, is an author who always, always sticks the landing of her books’ conclusions and themes. It was a bit of a slow start, and I wasn’t totally into the book the entire time, but Ng really follows through: there was a moment at the end of the book where I found myself thinking it’s about the choice!!!
Of course, at times this book feels a bit heavy-handed because I am living through much of what inspired this book, but at the same time it does feel particularly useful in the context of my own struggles with feeling extremely powerless with my country’s determination to be a shitshow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault