By Diana Tramontano

In a world not dissimilar to ours, twelve-year-old Bird lives a quiet life with his father. When Bird was younger, his mother left, leaving only a mysterious letter behind. We learn they have been living in a culture in which authorities relocate children of dissidents, specifically those of Asian origin, and libraries must remove all books that are seen as unpatriotic. When Bird’s curiosity gets the better of him, he follows the mysterious letter to search for his mother. The journey will take him through many secret havens located in libraries, and Bird begins to remember all the poems and tales his mother used to tell him. In time, Bird realizes he is just a piece of the much larger cultural revolution that will forever change society.

Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere, has written the most incredible book. It took me a little while to get into the novel, but I absolutely could not stop once I did. The story is so layered with interesting characters, a propulsive plot, and an important and timely conversation. This book was the perfect balance between fiction and reality. It was highly relevant to the challenges our society has faced over the past few years. As a reader and book lover, I absolutely loved how Ng selected libraries to be the safe space in her society. 

I encourage everyone who reads this book to take the time to read the author's note as well. Celeste Ng is such a talented writer and storyteller—this is a must-read!

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Diana Tramontano is a graduate of The College of William & Mary, where she competed on the Division 1 swim team, and the post-grad publishing course at Columbia University. She is a consulting editor for Zibby Mag and the associate publicist at Zibby Books. She lives in New York City. Follow her Instagram account for more book reviews and recommendations: @99livesofabookgirl