Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Transcendent Kingdom

I don't know where to begin with this, other than this may be one of my favorite reads of all time.

Incredibly difficult topics, intense grief, depression, religious trauma, etc., are covered in such a poetic way. Although my experiences will never quite be the same as a black immigrant in the south, living in Alabama, living in the evangelical south, is an experience that can transcend demographics. That connection helped me to connect to Gifty and her experiences in a way that I wouldn't otherwise be able to.

Gifty's bridge between science and God/spirituality, and how one or the other wasn't quite enough for her life and curiosity, was particularly poignant. Needing both, rather than one or the other, to make sense of her lived experiences and hardships is something I can attest to. To watch Gifty come to this point, to see her brother's addiction and mother's depression through her eyes and watch her desperately attempt to make sense of both and what they meant for her life and theirs, gripped my heart with such an intensity I don't know if I'll ever get over it.

Content Warnings

eldritch_flower's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Beautifully written. Compelling. Powerful.

I'm not spiritual or religious at all, so a lot of this book didn't quite his the mark for me because I just couldn't relate to that aspect.

But otherwise it was a powerful read about trauma, pain, and familial relationships.

Content Warnings

camprocter's review against another edition

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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

4.5

Like Homegoing, I loved this book. It takes "slow-paced" to a whole new level, in my opinion. The first half felt like a long introduction of sorts, and things didn't start to pick up for me until Chapter 32 or so. This isn't a criticism though: I felt like this slow start really added a lot of emotional weight to this book. And as expected, it was beautifully beautifully written. Strong recommend.

Content Warnings

adeliab's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

fromstephspages's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative 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

5.0

This book was… just, wow… So let me try to explain what I just experienced and loved: Gifty’s depth, introspection, and her raw experience with her family. Her flaws, vulnerability, and honesty. Her questions and interwoven research and statistics. Her personal exploration of science and religion. Everything! The writing just pulls you in and not only was I left not wanting to put this down but also thinking about the story throughout the day. I found myself relating more than I’m comfortable admitting and I legit got goosebumps at the end of the book. This might be my favorite book of the year.

Find me on IG @bookrecswithsteph

Content Warnings

partylaundromat's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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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