Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Maa ja taivas by Yaa Gyasi

80 reviews

ntvenessa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

I'm not sure I've ever read anything quite like this. It was gorgeous but gritty, and oh, my heart swelled when it did not outright burst. As an agnostic scientist myself who grew up surrounded by religion, this novel explores brilliantly that intersection that which is often seen as an unbridgeable divide. I am still unsure, but I am moved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Vomit, and Child death

Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

emsreading's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I read this book as an audiobook for a book club. I had a love/hate relationship with this book. It took me a while to get into it and the middle really lagged for me. The main character talks about religion a lot, which is not my cup of tea so I got tired of that content in several places. I felt frustrated with the situations and the characters but I think that was the point of the book. The story is sad but I found myself reflecting on things I had read. I think the narrator (Bahni Turpin) also brought the story to life with accents. The main character Gifty is honest and reflective and her upbringing had a large impact on the rest of her life. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Religious bigotry, and Medical content

linesiunderline's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

5.0

Some books display their brilliance to you almost immediately. Transcendent Kingdom is a book that reveals its brilliance slowly, quietly, until by the end you are left knowing that there is so much to this work that you have seen only some of its beauties, and even so, you are amazed.

I am only beginning to appreciate all of the things that are breathtaking about this book, that I know will linger with me, becoming part of me and how I see the world. You’re left with more questions than answers. Invitations to consider big things and small and the story of your own life.

Gifty will feel as real to you as anyone you’ve ever known. Her humanity and complexity may be the most impressive thing about this book. It’s certainly one of the most memorable. She is the heart of the novel.

Transcendent Kingdom will be one of my top reads of this year. I cannot recommend it highly enough and also have to praise Bahni Turpin’s stellar audio performance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, and Vomit

Minor: Excrement, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

amybouwer's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Racism

raoulalexander's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Vomit

mirireads's review against another edition

challenging reflective 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

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Medical content

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

marsliketheplanet's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-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? Yes

3.5

Transcendent Kingdom is very philosophical and thoughtful. I found myself reflecting on the questions Gifty asked herself and needing to put the book down so that I could dedicate time to my own contemplation. At times, I felt the pacing was too slow, but overall, the plot was rewarding to follow. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

foreverinastory's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.5

Rep: Bisexual Ghanian-American female MC, depressed female Ghanian immigrant side character, narcotic addicted Ghanian-American male side character, supporting cast of BIPOC characters, queer female side character.

CWs: Addiction, alcohol consumption, child death, death, drug abuse/use, death from overdose, grief, mental illness (depression), misogyny, racism, religious bigotry, sexual content (mild), sexism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Sexism

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.5

I like this more than Yaa Gyasi's first book, Homegoing. I like the way that the plot and the characterization get uncovered a little bit at a time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Racial slurs, Racism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Child death, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Sexism, Colonisation, Bullying, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy

gracecooper's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.5

Wonderful. Had to stay up all night to finish

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Suicide attempt and Racial slurs