Reviews tagging 'Grief'

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

99 reviews

joisaddler's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, War, Classism, Death, and Slavery

Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, Racism, Drug use, Child death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Murder

brittany_jean's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Wow. What an incredible book. Each generation read like it’s own short story, yet it all flowed in such a logical way. A beautiful, haunting book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Slavery, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Colonisation, and Child abuse

Moderate: Drug use and Child death

rachelwierick's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad 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: Grief, Racial slurs, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Mental illness, Police brutality, Excrement, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, and Drug use

hmbk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Child death

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicide and Alcohol

mettenikkessen's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

The storytelling in this book was beautiful! This book was sometimes heartbreaking as well as emotional and powerful. I loved all the family relations and connections throughout the book. I sometimes wished I could read more about certain characters, instead of moving on to the next story. It deals with many important historical themes surrounding slavery and racism. Even though this book is fiction, it felt very real to me and informative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Racism

Moderate: Violence, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Torture, Rape, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, Mental illness, Infertility, Hate crime, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, Child death, Addiction, and Abandonment

seanml's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

This is perfection. Yaa Gyasi had an idea and executed it immaculately. There isn’t much more to say for this one. It is a complex story told with such confidence and purpose that its messages cut through clear and uninhibited. 10/10.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Trafficking

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Cannibalism, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, Dysphoria, and Stalking

skudiklier's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This book was incredible, and heartbreaking, and beautiful. I knew nothing about it going in, but I don't think anything could have prepared me. So much of what happens in it is so hard to read, but I'd recommend Homegoing to anyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Child death, Xenophobia, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Pregnancy, War, Vomit, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Genocide, Fatphobia, Cursing, and Animal death

jeanniea's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Such a well-written book. The writing is unbelievably good. The stories, the characters, the storytelling format. How everything ties together. Absolutely incredible. I'm at a loss for words.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, and War

Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Drug use

kathigusi's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Violence

sweekune's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

I went into this book blind, based on a friend's recommendation and the vague description of "It's about two black sisters and their descendents. It's sooo good." I'm not sure "good" is the right word for the raw, serrated emotions this book brought from me. I cried with almost every chapter and have come away forever changed by this book.

- Each chapter has a different point of view, starting with the original sisters and flowing down the generations to modern day. You feel the weight of the ancestor's experience influencing the lives of the descendents. Despite the short time spent with each protagonist, the author's writing draws you in and you feel in your heart for each and every one of them.

- This book documents extremely well the challenges of black people from the slave trade, colonialism, segregation, gaining independence, workers' rights, drug addiction and so much more. This is the sort of book that should be studied in schools and used to spark discussions on history and the awful things white people did (and still do) to black people and forge a better future.

- The language used is beautiful and Gyasi's prose paints all these places and points in time so it's like you're there. The ending of one chapter almost made me vomit the imagery was so strong. It takes amazing skill to write something that produces such a visceral reaction and I am in awe of her talent.

Absolutely and irrevocably scarring in the best way. I will carry Homegoing with me for a long time and I felt it within me. Everyone should read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Vomit