Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

10 reviews

gettheetoalibrary's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was hard, well written, and necessary. The narrative prose was beautiful, and this beauty was often juxtaposed with the story itself, quietly sharpening the description of a dystopian setting. The author herself mentioned in a note at the end that it's a bit jarring how non-far-fetched the premise is. I'm grateful for the courage she had to write it.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, and Abandonment

jessiejonesbentley's review

dark emotional hopeful medium-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? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Xenophobia, Deportation, Grief, Abandonment, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Colonisation

chelseylb1988's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Colonisation, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Violence, Xenophobia, and Grief

kappafrog's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

How eerie reading this in between seeing headlines about book bans in Florida. This was a compelling dystopian novel. I agree with other reviewers that the second half struggled at times compared to the first half.

The conceit of Margaret narrating her whole life to Bird didn't always work when she was going into intimate details which were great for the reader but made less sense as dialogue with her son. I was also disappointed in the lack of information about the aftermath of Margaret's plan. We got a few flashforward glimpses but no information on the political fallout.

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

katrinky's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

not an easy book to read. imagine the handmaid's tale, but about anti-asian racism and xenophobia. the book touches on linguistics, guerilla art, including yarn bombs, and folklore, so of course I was compelled from start to finish. read it in 1.5 days, both of them work days, so that tells you something about the pace and the ease with which I got invested in bird, his mom, margaret, and their lives under PACT ACT America. chilling, maybe hopeful? mostly wary, and clear-eyed about America's worst propensities.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Grief, Racism, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and Hate crime

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Death, and Abandonment

write2run's review

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

celestialg's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Didn’t speak to me as much as her previous books, but still an important read. Explores the ideas of a dystopian future but also, the dystopian happenings of now and of the past. A must read for someone hoping to read more racially diverse stories. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Abandonment

Minor: Colonisation, Sexual violence, Deportation, Genocide, and Gun 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

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

laurenkimoto's review

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Dear Ms. Ng,

Why did you have to emotionally destroy me? 

Regards,

A distraught reader 


Only complaint is the lack of quotation marks but in this book I can understand stylistically why it was done

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Antisemitism, Bullying, Gaslighting, Murder, Cursing, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Trafficking, War, Blood, Confinement, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, and Gun violence