Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

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

4 reviews

amandabethrose's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

What an absolutely beautiful book. We begin with two sisters, born from the same mother but have never met, whose lives follow starkly different paths. One marries a white man and lives at the Cape Coast Castle, one is sold into slavery and imprisoned at the Castle before being sent across the Atlantic to America. Each chapter is a snapshot into the life of their descendants, alternating between the family lines.  

There is a line in the second chapter around which the story unfolds, "And in my village we have a saying about separated sisters. They are like a woman and her reflection, doomed to stay on opposite sides of the pond." Each story is a mirror of what could have been. What if they had been able to live in Ghana, what if they had been ripped away. Without giving too much away, the story does end with the threads coming together and the family saga returning full circle to where it began. 

Absolutely gorgeous prose and an excellent balance of leaving me wishing for more, while being completely satisfied with the story given.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Slavery, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Self harm

marissasa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is heartbreaking, harrowing, devastating, and deeply moving. The story stems from one woman name Maame who gave birth to two daughters in different villages, each half-sister unknowing of the other's existence. Each chapter alternates between the next generation of both branches of the family, and tells different but parallel stories of the lives each child lives. It's a story of the lasting effects of colonization, war, and slavery on Ghanian people both in the homeland and in United States. As the book spans 8 generations, it ties major historical events to the appropriate character's narratives for that time period. There are so many difficult and upsetting situations that family members on both sides face, and they become deeply flawed but complex characters because of their experiences and the experiences of their parents that have been passed down both verbally and metaphysically. Generational trauma is a central theme throughout the book and I could feel my heart ache each time a character went through something or had a fear that could be tied back to experiences in their parent's or ancestor's chapter just a few pages before. The ending brings everything full circle with the recurring symbols of water, fire, and the black stone passed down from Maame herself, and it left me with a bittersweet feeling knowing both the indescribable pain and incredible resilience of each ancestor that lead to the two latest generations being able to come together and feel connected to the land where it all started.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, Racism, Vomit, War, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Violence, and Kidnapping

kkocik's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Torture, Alcoholism, Body horror, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Slavery, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Abandonment, Self harm, and Sexual assault

rmperash's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Infidelity, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Trafficking, War, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, and Suicide