Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Más allá de mi reino by Yaa Gyasi

87 reviews

nerdybirdy101's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I saw the hype of this book all over Bookstagram and wanted to pick it up based on all of the advertisements and because the cover is divine! I want to caution people to please look at the Trigger and Content Warning for this book before you read it!
This book was written so well!! All the sentences were done to perfection and you can tell the author is highly skilled. The syntax is elegant and I want to check out more of the author’s works!
The story was enjoyable and I enjoyed reading it. I like how the story went from present to past format, where there were even some chapters that were past journal entries. I really enjoyed this book and am finding it difficult to express how much I enjoyed it!
I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars because there was something missing. I have no idea what was missing or whatever, but there was something that was missing to make this a 5 star read. I still really enjoyed this book and it is definitely a high 4 stars. There are Trigger and Content Warnings, so I recommend this book to those that are able to read this.

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eileenreads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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brittstagram's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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pariscasseemarie's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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litwithlo's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

“Surely, there’s strength in being dressed for a storm, even when there’s no storm in sight?”

I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for what feels like an eternity and was so happy to snuggle up with it last weekend. I simply *adored* Gyasi’s first novel, Homegoing, and was so eager to see what else she had in store for me.

The tl;dr: she definitely delivered but I was not IN this novel as much as I was her first. To start: they were incredibly different. While both novels I think *technically* fall within the contemporary fiction genre, Homegoing has more of a historical fiction angle…and we all know I have a soft spot for history, giving it a slight leg up. But, it didn’t mean Transcendent Kingdom wasn’t still packed with meaning and beautiful writing, as Gyasi has made clear is her M.O.

It was gorgeously written and I loved the strength and determination in her female protagonist. The subject matter was pertinent and the commentary around the issues Gyasi shored up in her storytelling was powerful and important, proving once again that her voice is one that should never be ignored. I just love the way she creates and will forever buy every book she writes.

Things I would have loved to see: more than a single perspective. This is something I thought Gyasi did an exceptional job within Homegoing and I think I allowed myself to subconsciously believe that maybe Transcendent Kingdom would be more of the same. It was not but I think that was the point. A singular character's journey through life… we weren’t supposed to get any other perspective, it wasn’t at all about that.

So, really, I think having read and been in SO deep with her first novel made the second not as cherished in my mind. But it was so worth the read and she is an incredible talent.
Plus, I didn’t hate the happy ending.
 Read this! 

Emotional Feelometer: 😍 - really loved this one, but wasn’t haunted as I had hoped I would be.
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nibs's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is so intimate. It is sad and painful but resilient. It's centred around Gifty's life as her depressed mother comes to stay with her, but surrounds this present with windows to the past. Gradually filling in the stories of her family, their life, her love for her brother and the shame of his addiction. These things all lead to who Gifty is today. Although this book is really sad at times, there is hope shining through it.
I am so glad it ended on a hopeful note.
A book that makes you sit and remember how unfair and messed up this world is, but that people muddle through it anyway. 

Also the writing itself was so well done. 
This quote from p211 was a highlight: 
 What a pity, what a waste. But the waste was my own, the waste was what I missed out on whenever I looked at him and just saw his addiction.
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bawallington's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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