Reviews tagging 'Rape'

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

354 reviews

tallywinkle's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

a beautiful, difficult, important book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and Drug use

nessreadsalot's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This book begins in the 18th century with two half sisters who have never met. One marries a white slave trader and the other is captured and sold into slavery. The story is written with each chapter following someone from each subsequent generation up to present day. 
The short insights into each characters lives and how slavery and colonisation has affected and shaped their lives are so well written that each chapter leaves you wanting more about that person's story. I found it a little difficult to keep up with who was related to who at times because of the quick pace of the chapters and in the audiobook there was no chapter title to indicate the move to another character. I have seen others mention a family tree is printed in the physical book which would be very useful to help follow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

summeryoder's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

It's an amazingly well crafted novel that spans decades and generations. While each family member's story is captivating, it's a bit disorienting to leave a character after just one chapter, never to come back to them. At times it felt that some of the brutality and sexual content veered into gratuitousness rather than being a necessary storytelling vehicle. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Drug abuse, and Slavery

Moderate: Sexual content, Rape, and Infidelity

jordanglass's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Addiction, Colonisation, Rape, Slavery, and Torture

zedohee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.5

the brutality never gave way to even a little bit of joy. i understand revealing the horrors but at times it felt gratuitous and didactic instead of truly meaningful 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, and Violence

antoniac's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury

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

sarah_js's review against another edition

informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Beautiful. A heartbreaking and heartening story of a family broken into two lineages. A story of sacrifice, survival, impossible choices, and generational manifestations of trauma and resilience. Made me think a lot about the violence of cultural erasure; the privilege of traceable lineage; homeland and ancestors. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Racism, and Slavery