Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng (Penguin Pr.; LJ starred review), is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

 Incorporating recent events into her narrative, the best-selling Ng (Little Fires Everywhere) crafts a dystopian tale about societal repression and a mother’s love. It follows the quest of 12-year-old Bird (“Noah”) Gardner to understand why his Chinese American mother, published poet Margaret Miu, seemingly abandoned him and his father, Ethan, three years earlier. Instructed by his father to deny any association to his mother and not to stray when going about his daily routines, Bird must also be careful to follow the PACT (Preserving American Cultures and Traditions) passed by the government following a major worldwide crisis. He doesn’t want to raise any suspicions and risk being separated from his remaining parent, which happened to his classmate and closest friend, 13-year-old Sadie. Known for focusing on families, race, and relationships, Ng raises the bar another notch in a story intensified by reference to such police violence, political protest, book banning, and discrimination against people of color. VERDICT Ng’s beautiful yet chilling tale will resonate with readers who enjoyed Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Jessamine Chan’s more recent School for Good Mothers. As with her previous novels, her storytelling will not disappoint.—Shirley Quan

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (S. & S.; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the January 2022 LibraryReads list

“When recently-divorced Frida leaves her daughter home alone, she’s sentenced to a reeducation center where she must prove she's a good mom by bonding with a lifelike doll. This chilling dystopian novel highlights how performative and competitive parenting can be; for readers of The Handmaid’s Tale and Klara and the Sun.”—Elizabeth Zielinski, Olathe Public Library, Olathe, KS

Vox by Christina Dalcher (Berkley)

Appeared on the August 2018 LibraryReads list

“In the future world depicted in Vox, women are limited to speaking 100 words per day. Readers will want to shout every word in their heads, hoard every book in their libraries, and second guess the words of every person in their lives. A captivating, timely book that explores women’s rights in a fast-paced, compelling story.”—Jennifer Gaenzle, Fort Fairfield Public Library, Fort Fairfield, ME

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Ecco: HarperCollins)

Appeared on the October 2020 LibraryReads List

“What appears on the surface to be a simple story of a family on vacation morphs into a narrative about humanity, shared fear, misconceptions of people, and more. Amanda, Clay, and their two children rent an AirBnB. Then homeowners Ruth and G.H. appear on the doorstep in a panic, and suddenly nothing is normal. For readers who enjoyed Station Eleven and The Children’s Bible.”—Marika Zemke, Commerce Township Library, Commerce Township, MI