Reviews tagging 'War'

Penguin Readers Level 7: Homegoing (ELT Graded Reader) by Yaa Gyasi

127 reviews

shlymiller'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, War, and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy and Suicide

estherk809's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book takes you on a multi-generational journey. So much so that you feel every ache, burning anger, and joy. It’s a way to find your roots and settle down. I’m glad that I was ready to read the book this time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, War, Slavery, and Racism

mcplank's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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? N/A

5.0

This book is so beautifully written, it captures you and doesn’t let you go. The ability of the author to so deeply connect you to each character in just one chapter is artful, and a testament to the craftsmanship of the writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Death, War, Kidnapping, Rape, Colonisation, and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

ran_sophia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

It is an excellently written and pointed book with a very strong story.  Given the subject matter of the story, it was a difficult and challenging read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Slavery, and Rape

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, and Death

Minor: War

mr_ryancowboy's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Child death

Moderate: War and Classism

0hannah0banana0's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

10/10 the author managed to beautifully show us many generations and their lives and trauma in this book. This book made me feel all the feelings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, War, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Death, Vomit, Torture, Police brutality, Murder, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Addiction, Violence, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Genocide, and Drug use

redefiningrachel'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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Sexism, War, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Rape, Torture, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Body horror, Blood, Alcohol, and Drug abuse

Minor: Bullying

burritobug's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Religious bigotry, War, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Rape

themis_biblos's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 Split the Castle open
find me, find you. 

 "Her trick is to make him think that he is king of the bush, what does a king matter? Really, she is king and queen and everything in between."

 "He heard the word [forgiveness] most on the few days he went to the white man's church and so it had begun to seem to him like a word the white men brought with them when they first came to Africa. A trick their Christians had learned and spoke loudly and freely about to the people of the Gold Coast. Forgiveness, they shouted, all the while committing their wrongs." 

 "Evil begets evil. It grows. It transmutes, so that sometimes you cannot see that the evil in the world began as the evil in your home."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, and Slavery

Moderate: Torture, War, and Suicide

linhsreadinghour's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautiful beautiful historical fiction novel that follows the descendants of two sisters and how the decisions of each family member impacted the next. The writing was gorgeous and hooked me right in. Despite following each character for one chapter each time, Yaa Gyasi doesn’t fail to explore the intricacies and conflicts of their own lives, whilst weaving in the historical context and significance of the time period. Stunning book and so illuminating as a non-black person. Will become a classic in the future no doubt, a must read for everyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, War, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Drug use, Death, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Rape