Celeste Eng has written her most ambitious book yet: an American dystopia set in the near future that nudges the boundaries of horror by virtue of being all too plausible. With the eye of an experienced surveyor, she again explores the territory of abandonment, a constant in her previous books, though this time, in addition to family and friendship ties/bonds, it also covers the abandonment of a country to it’s democratic ideals. The force largely responsible for doing this is the government mandated PACT, The Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act. Its provisions, taught to all schoolchildren, include “Outlaws promotion of un-American values and behavior. Encourages all citizens to report potential threats to our society. Protects children from environments espousing harmful views.” PACT originated after an economic crash devastated the country, which spiraled into chaos and the disintegration of social order, with finger pointing gradually settling on China for America’s reliance on its products, its commerce, and its global markets. This gave rise to a systemic and virulent anti-Asian bias, cloaked in patriotism and self-righteousness. Sound familiar? Eng knows we might already be on this terrain, she is just a bit further down the road. It is frightening and we are unable to look away.

What makes it especially compelling is that this is seen through the eyes of a preternaturally sensitive child, 12 year old biracial Bird, aka Noah (both names are heavily weighted with symbolism), who lives in a cold student dorm with his father, a former language professor, now demoted to a university library shelver. His father’s survival strategy, which he insists Bird follow is to keep his head down and become invisible. Bird (has a lonely life, he follows his father’s rules, is bullied for his Asian features by other students and also, to a degree, his teachers. He is both angry with and grieving for his missing Chinese mother, Margaret, who walked out of their lives 3 years ago. Margaret, a poet, is considered a dangerous revolutionary, for lines in a poem she wrote years ago about the scattered seeds of a pomegranate which has become the rallying cry for a protest against PACT. More specifically, “our missing hearts” has become a symbol, for the practice of removing children from the homes of those deemed unpatriotic and unfit to raise children, which effectively encompasses anyone that speaks out or comments against any government policy or practice. Bird’s one outspoken friend Sadie, bounces between foster homes after being suddenly taken from her parents because of their anti-PACT journalism. And then she is gone and Bird receives a strange cartoonish drawing in the mail with a tantalizing clue, which leads Bird on a harrowing quest to find his mother.,

As with Ng’s other books, character development, heavily vested in the inner life, is slow, deliberate, and assured; it is near impossible to not become intricately bound up with the fates of those she writes about.
Another strength is that for the most part, the villainy remains faceless. Terrible things happen to innocent people, the consequence of a well-oiled machine of fear, hatred, and jingoism, but without creating a face and personality for the powers behind PACT, it is insidious, ubiquitous and devastating. But a counter movement is afloat, which harnesses art as it’s messenger-streets painted red; sculptures of hearts, trees covered in red yarn and strung up with knit children dolls. The acts of artistic rebellion are treated like crime scenes and a counterpoint to the God Bless All Loyal American signs displayed on every business. Even stopping to long to look at it is suspect.

Eng expertly parrots the necessary mindspeak used to buttress this regime: “PACT is not about race, the president was always saying, it is about patriotism and mindset.” Her lazar sharp satiric writing is so full of fire and fury that it is easy to forget that Eng is talking about a fictional construct, though one, that could perhaps come to pass or whose beginnings might already be present in the recent wave of crime and violence directed to the Asian community. As Bird comes closer to finding what he is looking for, though a series of sometimes improbable clues and coincidences, involving libraries and librarians, the story shifts to Margaret’s voice. Margaret is a poet and her voice and thoughts and imagery while stirring, also changes the pace of the narrative. It circles back on itself, often covering the same terrain and sometimes stalls in a series of beautiful though repetitive observations. The chase is on for Bird and Margaret and the tension alternates between Bird’s bird’s eye view of events and Margaret’s anguished conflict between her duty as a long-absent mother and that of a symbol of political protest in a most dangerous time. Can art save us?
Eng asks many uncomfortable and essential questions in this powerhouse of a book. During the course of the novel, you may find your answer changes more than once. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy

Celeste Ng is probably one of my favorite literary authors writing today, as her style and aesthetics and descriptors really speak to me. I wasn't sure what to expect of OUR MISSING HEARTS, and once I was reading it I realized that it was even more off the beaten path of my expectations, but in a good way. Set in a world that is kind of like ours, but not quite, this book is a dystopian America where China has become a daunting superpower, a vague Crisis rocked American society ten years previously, and Asian Americans are targeted for hate and scorn because of both facts. But as we follow our protagonist Bird as he searches for the Chinese American mother who supposedly abandoned him, and whose poem became a rallying cry for resistors, we see a novel that is as much about love and identity and hope as much as it's about a bleak dystopian America that feels all too realistic. Ng jumps into a newish genre pretty well, and while it wasn't what I expected, I ended up enjoying it.

OUR MISSING HEARTS is sure to be on many end of year lists, and it's great seeing that Celeste Ng still knows how to surprise readers.

Another must-read story from the talented Celeste Ng
Thought-provoking, moving, and engrossing, OUR MISSING HEARTS will hopefully kick off a conversation about what it means to be American and the powers of a mother's love.

I couldn't put this book down. The US described in Ng's latest is frightening and all too easily imagined. I recommend highly and will be sharing Our Missing Hearts in an upcoming book talk. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance e copy.

This is a terrifying peak into the past, present, and future of many societies who seek to keep us divided & fearful of each other. It’s also a beautiful story of love between parents and their children. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a bit of hope.

“But in the end every story I want to tell you is the same. Once upon a time, there was a boy. Once upon a time there was a mother. Once upon a time, there was a boy, and his mother loved him very much.”

Our Missing Hearts, at its core, is a story about a mother’s (Margaret) love for her child (Noah/Bird) and the internal conflict she has between keeping safe and making sacrifices to do the right thing.

It is a heavy read, about a dystopian world, that is quite real in many ways. A world full of hate, fear, prejudice and distrust. Where government control goes too far in the name of protection and security. To a point where children are taken from families for their protection. It is so dark because of its real life potential.

The first half of the book is Bird’s path toward searching for his mother who suddenly left his family several years earlier. The second half is Margaret’s story. It’s a sudden shift. It could really almost be two different books. The shift is important though, as it is a build up to Margaret’s project and purpose as a voice.

I loved the role of librarians in this world as the quiet, under the radar heroes of information sharing. It was perfection!

Ng writes beautifully. Many parts ripped my gut, especially the stories Margaret shares. The book doesn’t pull any punches. There is a lot to think about, and it is ripe for discussion, but it leaves you feeling very sad about our future and it is tough to get through.

I both read the book and listened to the audio. Lucy Liu’s voice is absolutely haunting as the narrator and adds much to the experience.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our Missing Hearts is a powerful novel. Ng writes of an alternate dystopian present, where the Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act (PACT) is law and license to snoop on and report your neighbors in the name of patriotism and to remove children from parents who are accused of sedition. Books are censored, removed from libraries and stores. They are not burned, they are pulped into toilet paper. All so that Americans don't hear or read something viewed as anti-American.

Asian Americans (called Kung-PAOs in the book) are viewed as the reason for the country's crisis period, which led to the passage of PACT, and are abused, verbally and physically. The main character, Bird, is half Chinese. His mom fled their home years ago, and he's being raised by his father. When he receives a letter in the mail that he believes is from his mother, he sets out on a journey to find her.

This book is equal parts amazing and terrifying. I've never read a dystopian novel that hits so close to home.

This is not your typical Celeste Ng novel. Our Missing Hearts takes us into a rather bleak dystopian future where PACT is the law, Protect American Culture, a law that allows the government to remove children from homes of people it deems unsavory to American ideals.

We meet Bird, a young son of a Chinese American woman (Margaret) and a White father who had been a university professor (Ethan). Margaret wants to stay under the radar and just raise her son but a poem she wrote years ago becomes an anthem for those apposed to PACT. Rather than have her son taken from them and raised by others she choses to leave her husband and son so at least Bird has his father.

The story of love and family is very sad and not just a little scary in these times of blaming "the Other". It is understandable why Ng would be drawn to write about how easy it was make laws when people are scared.

Bird's quest to know and understand is mother takes us to the underground side of NY and dissidents. He is a very determined young boy who proves how resourceful youth can be.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

Celeste Ng writes a powerful, near future dystopian novel about our surveillance state and rigid nationalism. Rooted strongly in our past and current events, it can feel all too believable in a quite compelling way. The prose is beautiful, descriptive without moving too slowly, and the characters are richly written and you can feel their fear, heartbreak, and hope. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

Our Missing Hearts is an impactful and timely novel. Ng ties together current issues of racism and censorship with historical travesties of re-homing children in this entirely too realistic novel. The novel begins with Bird talking about the disappearance of his mother and how it relates to all of the government and social changes that have occurred since the Crisis. Then it explores how quickly people create an us vs. them mentality and the explicit racism and censorship that occurs. At times hard to read, due to how prescient the actions in the world she creates, but told in her usual lyrical style. Even now with the increase of book-banning, this novel will resonate with many.

Dark and fascinating and full of all the feels that thinking about family brings up. Dystopian and like many dystopian novels lately-feels all too real.

Such a powerful book. I really appreciate that it starts from the perspective of a child and he slowly starts to question things and we find out from the adults around him what's actually going on. I think watching these things happen through the eyes of a child hits so much deeper.

As a steadfast fan of Celeste Ng since I read an advance reader copy of All the Things I Never Told You, it would be impossible to pick a favorite. Her books are all different, employing lyrical prose to illuminate the strength of love and the power of language, both spoken and silent. This timely novel speaks to the need for caution when faced with loud voices blaming “them” for problems. I loved every word. Thank you to Net Galley.

Literary star Celeste Ng’s third novel advances a once unthinkable proposition: Americans wracked by insecurity embrace authoritarian solutions. In a time not far in the future, in the wake of economic and political meltdown, discrimination, censorship, and fear run rampant
under the guise of “peace-keeping.” As challenging books slip from the shelves, and dissidents disappear from their families, a twelve-year-old boy searches for his missing mother, an artist who might hold the key to a better future. With a chilling premise and frequently stunning
prose, this dystopian drama is a jolt to the system and a booster of hope.

Celeste Ng’s Missing hearts is impressive but heartbreaking story about dystopian near future.

Twelve-year-old Bird is half-Chinese and lives in a world where everything bad is considered to be of Chinese or Asian origin. Bird’s American-Chinese mother has left the family for their protection, and Bird’s father is trying to keep their son safe. As Bird get older he starts to be more aware what is happening around him: racism, disappearing children, fear, protests.

Bird thinks he has a way to find his missing mother, and he sets on a journey to find her. Along the way Bird learns more about the world he lives in and what’s his mother’s role in the protests against the rulers.

The world Ng describes in this book is, unfortunately, all too easy to imagine.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a chance to review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher Penguin Press, and author Celeste Ng for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Our Missing Hearts because I am such a fan of Ng's writing. She has a way of telling complex and complicated stories featuring complex and complicated characters in a way that is just so absolutely lovely. Her newest work is no exception, and this will be a book that sticks with me for a long time to come. What makes Our Missing Hearts so impactful is the very realistic near-future setting. There are so many eerie similarities between what is happening in this book and what is happening in real life that it sometimes reads more like non-fiction. I could easily see PACT happening very soon, and we already see so many instances of anti-Asian discrimination and that removal of children. Although the setting of the book is unsettling, the book itself is not (although it is heartbreaking at times), due in large part to the lovely character of Bird Gardner. Telling such a story through the eyes of a child who has only ever known this world made the events even more impactful to me as a reader. Bird is a character that I just wanted to give the biggest hug to while also supporting and cheering him on every step of the way. I appreciated the world building and how in part two, we got to see events unfold from the perspective of Bird's mother, Margaret, a poet whose words sparked the revolution currently occurring within the novel. There is lots of depth and character building/growth throughout, which is my favorite part of any novel. While the story is a bit predictable at times, I found myself wanting to stay in the world with Bird and his family regardless and for even longer. Celeste Ng is truly one of the most outstanding authors of our time, and I believe this book will have great impact for many years to come.

Celeste NG has done it again! I absolutely loved “Little Fires Everywhere”, and “ Everything I Never Told You”.

At first I was a little iffy on it. Growing up in a PACT house and marrying someone who came here as a child I really didn’t want to read it once I started it. But, Bird and Margaret’s story is captivating and heart breaking. Celeste wrecked me with this one. You get a look into lives of a family
Affected by PACT. I believe we can all take a lesson from this story.

This is a story of power, our differences in cultures, motherhood, love, and a passion to create change and leave a beautiful legacy for our families!

Bird Gardner is a mixed-race child - his mother, the poet Margaret Miu, is a PAO, a person of Asian origin. Three years earlier, she vanished one day, her disappearance devastating the family. Bird's father gave up his position as a linguistics professor and now shelves books at the university library, and he and Bird live in one of the dormitories. One day, Bird receives a communication that can only have come from his mother. He sets out to find her and ask her why she left them. Set in the near future in post-crisis world where Asians are viewed with hatred and suspicion for causing all of the problems afflicting the U.S., this is an old story that could easily happen again. There are themes of racism/racial purity, cultural homogeneity, fear and suspicion. But there is also bravery, especially on the part of librarians willing to take risks to spread information (as we have always done). You'll think about it for a long time after you finish it. Really cool cover art. Recommended.

In “Our Missing Hearts,” Celeste Ng’s latest release, the bestselling author of 2014’s “Everything I Never Told You” and 2017’s “Little Fires Everywhere” spins a chilling commentary on a potential America of tomorrow, one filled with hate, injustice and discrimination. Here, the U.S. government views Asian Americans with suspicion and animosity. Years after his mother disappeared, the novel’s mixed-race protagonist, Bird, learns that a poem his mother wrote sparked protests against the Preserving American Culture and Traditions Act, which is behind the government’s oppression of foreign cultural influence. This vaults Bird into a journey into the past and a quest for truth and morality. As beautiful as it is disturbing, Ng wrestles with the urgent questions of our time and asks, can we actually make a difference? How can we teach our children to make the world better and keep a sense of shared humanity alive, when we ourselves have failed to do so?

How incredibly mind blowing and through provoking this book was. While this book can be considered dystopian, it is scary how much it parallels our country and its potential to alienate minorities.

Bird Gardner is a nine year old boy with a Chinese mother and white father when the Crisis begins. I period of time where America is trying to suppress Asian influence on its culture and economy. One day, Bird's mother disappears and he slowly realizes that members of other families are disappearing too, particularly, children. Bird and his father try to keep a low profile after his mother goes missing so that he is not taken too. As Bird grows older, he begins to realize that his mother was not taken--she left on her own and he has found a clue as to her whereabouts.

Bird unfolds the story of where his mother has gone and begins to understand the depth of hate and political rhetoric in this heart breaking and beautifully written novel.