thebookishdentist's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! This novel was a slow burn but extremely powerful. I related to the main character well in her desire to understand addiction and the reward system of the brain - being that my undergraduate thesis covered a similar topic of the opiate epidemic.
This book has so many layers: opiate addiction, death of a loved one, depression, struggles with religion & faith in God, neuroscience, a broken family, systemic racism & misogyny in the hard sciences. I tried to read it slower and allow the words to sink in. I recommend picking this up, it’s a good one that really makes you think.
This book has so many layers: opiate addiction, death of a loved one, depression, struggles with religion & faith in God, neuroscience, a broken family, systemic racism & misogyny in the hard sciences. I tried to read it slower and allow the words to sink in. I recommend picking this up, it’s a good one that really makes you think.
lindsaycatherinezoe's review against another edition
3.0
What a beautifully written story. So heavy and so many parts felt real... its almost like the book had a pulse. I don't think I fully appreciated how great this book was until I discussed it with others. It is a far departure from her last book and does a fantastic job exploring addiction, family, belonging, race, trauma and coping.
The only reason I gave it three stars is because it was too heavy/too real for me right now. I am sure if I read it during a different time I would rate it higher.
The only reason I gave it three stars is because it was too heavy/too real for me right now. I am sure if I read it during a different time I would rate it higher.
tabo98's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
jtbolscher's review against another edition
4.0
there is, i think, a spot in everyone's brain where they feel like something's missing. maybe you know what it is; maybe you can point to an exact moment when your past lobotomized your present and you've been left the way you are. or maybe, like me, you think that it should be whole, and in those moments you wonder why it isn't. yaa gyasi shows both, what are revealed to be opposite sides of the same coin, inevitably flipped in every life lived: grief.
this novel takes us through the life of a grad student performing addiction research on mice, spliced with a slow recounting of a series of personal tragedies that struck her when she was younger. it recounts spirituality and belonging, it describes addiction and racism, it explores what it feels like to feel god and what it's like to be unable to. it's cynical and earnest, it's naive and mature. it feels almost cyclical in its progress, and i suppose that that's what it's trying to say about grief itself. it's a wheel, slowly rolling forward and then backwards and then tipping over, and though it may change it never really ends. and, perhaps, neither do we.
there's not much else i can say about the novel. it's well written and well narrated and well structured and well edited and moving and important. does it answer the questions that it raises? no, and for once i'm glad it doesn't. because if someone writes a book claiming to tell me why we're here, what it's all for, i will slap them in the face and hand them this one instead.
this novel takes us through the life of a grad student performing addiction research on mice, spliced with a slow recounting of a series of personal tragedies that struck her when she was younger. it recounts spirituality and belonging, it describes addiction and racism, it explores what it feels like to feel god and what it's like to be unable to. it's cynical and earnest, it's naive and mature. it feels almost cyclical in its progress, and i suppose that that's what it's trying to say about grief itself. it's a wheel, slowly rolling forward and then backwards and then tipping over, and though it may change it never really ends. and, perhaps, neither do we.
there's not much else i can say about the novel. it's well written and well narrated and well structured and well edited and moving and important. does it answer the questions that it raises? no, and for once i'm glad it doesn't. because if someone writes a book claiming to tell me why we're here, what it's all for, i will slap them in the face and hand them this one instead.
madreejima's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
starryeved's review against another edition
3.0
We humans are reckless with our bodies, reckless with our lives, for no other reason than that we want to know what would happen, what it might feel like to brush up against death, to run right up to the edge of our lives, which is, in some ways, to live fully.
Currently stunned at Yaa Gyasi's sheer range. This is so astoundingly different from Homegoing, but it is inevitably a triumph all the same.
Transcendent Kingdom is a marvelously complex, intense introspective narrative. Its discussion of institutionalized racism, mental health, grief, the unrelenting search for balance when walking away from the comforts of one's faith, and so much more are needle-sharp, precise and transcendent. Every detail is intricately placed. The depth is unquestionably quality, and packs an emotional punch whether or not you personally identify with Gyasi's subject matter.
Resplendent, as always. Thoughtful and morose, acutely realistic. I read it in a daze, because it was a hard but worthy read. 10/10 recommend.
failedimitator's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Oh yea. I finished this ages ago. Forgot to upload this. And funny enough, I barely remember it. I remember it being very readable, but the whole addiction thing doesn't seem specific enough. But I liked the mother-daughter relationship. And I was also fascinated by the actual research. But it wasn't Homegoing, and I guess that's fine
cissyamato's review against another edition
5.0
A debate over the relevance of spirituality in a modern era- whether we can find comfort in faith without necessarily conforming to a religious institution’s strict guidelines.
Loved this book and Gifty!! 10/10 would recommend
Loved this book and Gifty!! 10/10 would recommend