Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Ein erhabenes Königreich by Yaa Gyasi

484 reviews

bek_p87's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I loved Yaa Gyasi's debut novel, Homegoing, so much that I was worried that this wouldn't live up to it, but I soon found that it isn't fair to compare them. While Homegoing is a sweeping epic spanning continents and centuries, this is a still, quiet story of one woman's life. The way Gifty grapples with shaping her identity through her thoughts and feelings on religion, science, and family resonated so deeply with me, and Gyasi treats these topics - and more (addiction, mental health, racism) with sensitivity, openness, and care. I await with bated breath Yaa Gyasi's future books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Racial slurs, and Racism

flashandoutbreak's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death, Grief, Medical content, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

abrdoodle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Suicide attempt, Child death, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Vomit

Moderate: Sexism, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Classism, Sexual content, Excrement, and Racism

Minor: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Physical abuse

teeclecticreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A lot of heavy topIcs were very metculously and wholeheartedly discussed. Each member of this family was grappling with ther own struggles. I love that the ending also gave the reader a lot to think about regarding their own relationship with God/religion. I could feel the grief through the pages and found myself sympathising with each of them. The one qualm I have is the fact there was no separation between the present and the flashbacks.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

meaglovesbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Drug abuse

kenzieskinnerrr's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Death and Death of parent

clarityandchaos's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death

lindsaylhunter's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Much like with Homegoing, Gyasi writes with incredible sincerity about topics of substance. She is the voice of a generation, and I hope that voice only gets louder and stronger as the years go by.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Grief, and Racism

Moderate: Racial slurs

Minor: Death of parent

isaarusilor's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use

kaitlyncookies's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

An excellent novel for anyone looking for an honest, nuanced depiction of an individual’s relationship to religion and science.

***

Transcendent Kingdom is a novel told in vignettes that go back and forth between the main character Gifty’s childhood/adolescence and the present day where she is an adult. Because it is non-linear it did take me a bit of time to get into it, but Gyasi’s prose kept my attention. The novel’s structure lends itself well to its subject matter, the grey area of religion and spirituality. 

This novel is very nuanced because the main character’s faith is shaken by a tragedy that lacks the sudden senselessness of a more spontaneous death. Instead Gifty witnesses the drawn out demise that often accompanies addiction. In my opinion this book had a very accurate depiction of a loss of faith, in that it is less like a switch being turned off, but more like a river that over time loses its intensity and may totally dry up in some seasons, or forever. 

Gyasi’s prose feel so honest that this novel reads more like a memoir. The scientific side of this novel was also incredibly realistic and an interesting counterpoint to Gifty’s spiritual upbringing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Bullying