Celeste Ng is a New York Times best selling author, and although I've not read any of her earlier books, I plan on doing so in the future. I've even seen a television adaptation of one of her novels. This book deals with a future that seems not far away at times, dystopian but not so different from the world we are living in now. It's been named the best book of 2022 by several sources and was the October 2022 pick for Reese's Book Club. It is not always an easy read, dealing with abandonment, racism, bullying, hate crimes, sexual assault, gun violence, police brutality, and one short instance of animal cruelty.
Bird, called Noah by most people nowadays, is about twelve years old and living with his father in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Almost three years ago, his mother left them with no clue as to where she went, and they haven't heard from her since. Until one day, Bird gets a letter from her. Not really a letter, more a sketch of a bunch of cats without a signature or return address, but Bird just knows it's from her. About that time, he starts to notice the words of his mother, a poem that she wrote before he was born, being used as a mantra for political protests. He starts to dig and begins to realize that things may not be as innocent as he once thought. All at once a story of a child losing some of their innocence and a story of a mother's unwavering love, this story was not always fun but it was well worth it.
The second audiobook I've listened to this year, this novel was beautiful. The writing is lyrical and easy to listen to. Reading this story made me want to hold my children tight and soak up every moment that I have with them, as Bird and his mother were torn apart to keep him safe. This novel takes place in the United States at some unknown future date, but is easily translated to almost anywhere else, as they use the desire to protect our children to keep the public in line. Unfortunately, it is a story that has really happened, and this novel warns against becoming complacent just because it's easier.
This novel surprised me, I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it at the beginning but I ended up really liking it. It does not have a happy ending, although I would say that it ends on a hopeful note. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng gets 4.75 stars out of 5. I can't wait to read some of her other work.
If you want to learn more about Celeste Ng and her writing, please check her out at https://www.celesteng.com/
Pairs well with shepherd's pie and drawings of cats.
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