Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

65 reviews

asiamd's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I loved this book! I expected to cry a lot more which I did in the beginning of the book but the manner in which she wrote the story felt so calm to me and not in a bad way. It just felt so sweet and beautiful but also at times sad and horrific. It kept me really engaged in a way that I couldn’t cry because I was so caught up in her story and what she was telling. For me this book kinda felt like a love letter to little black girls telling them look at my life and what I’ve went through and see my happy and sad moments and know you’re not alone. Even though this book isn’t technically a poetry book that’s what it felt like to me, to be able to read someones life and the obstacles they went through as a young child is so amazing to me and I can’t wait to read the next book in her autobiography series! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Child abuse, Rape, Racism, Murder, Car accident, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia

chriswoody94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Murder, Violence, Sexism, and Pregnancy

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

This was my first Maya Angelou, and her writing is so good. I wasn't absolutely enthralled, but I really liked listening to it. Whew, she went through such trauma, and it's incredible that she made it out the other side.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Classism, Misogyny, and Rape

Minor: Alcohol and Sexual content

bookish_bry's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

This is a fantastic book. Angelou has a wonderful grip on the English language and it made every story she told pop off of the page. This is an autobiography, so it doesn't have a plot perse, but she chose what stories to tell very well and made a cohesive story out of pieces of her life and  imparted a very personal but also socially important message.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Pedophilia, Hate crime, and Racism

Minor: Pregnancy

georgie_mb's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Binged this in a morning, who even am I 😂 

Beautiful, poignant, and heartbreaking. Maya’s story is incredible and you truly root for her every step of the way. Highly recommend the BBC audiobook of this, as they bring it to life as part audiobook, part radio play. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Hate crime, and Pedophilia

shellanor_rigby's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Murder

balfies's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I'm teaching Maya Angelou next week, so am doing a self taught crash course this week. This really is an impeccable memoir - the writing feels alive and contemporary, but this was published in '69. Angelou is a brilliant writer, she can really depict the quality of childhood with clarity, and can communicate intimately the heartbreak of poverty and the vicious normality of racism. If this is the quality of her purpose, I can't wait to read her poetry!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Pregnancy, Violence, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Rape, and Murder

joshuahc's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Racism, and Rape

Moderate: Pedophilia and Alcohol

nico_lechat's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual content, Police brutality, and Pedophilia

Minor: Pregnancy and Murder

a_bloom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

It took a little while for me to get used to the writing and actually interested in the story, but within a hundred pages it REALLY captured my attention. Her writing is beautiful and descriptive and painfully aware of how her younger self perceived the situation of her birth and life. However, the last few chapters come off awkward as it strays from the usual pacing, but considering she had more autobots it makes sense.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Sexual violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Grief, Death, Blood, Abortion, and Addiction

Minor: Infidelity, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, War, Incest, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, and Slavery