Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Maa ja taivas by Yaa Gyasi

74 reviews

scruffie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

Heavy book. My first Gyasi read and I have to admit that I really liked the writing style: clearly literary, but also direct. I really appreciated the book's nuanced view on depression and addiction, the focus on understanding, not judging.

I also liked the book's perspective on the internal conflicts people who have been brought up in a religious setting face, and in particular how that interacts with the scientific point of view. Coming from a similar place myself I found that part very relatable.

Time to look for Gyasi's other books :)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit

pollyhall's review against another edition

Couldn't relate to characters in story.<Object to animals used for medical testing>

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Abandonment

fromstephspages's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was… just, wow… So let me try to explain what I just experienced and loved: Gifty’s depth, introspection, and her raw experience with her family. Her flaws, vulnerability, and honesty. Her questions and interwoven research and statistics. Her  personal exploration of science and religion. Everything! The writing just pulls you in and not only was I left not wanting to put this down but also thinking about the story throughout the day. I found myself relating more than I’m comfortable admitting and I legit got goosebumps at the end of the book. This might be my favorite book of the year. 

Find me on IG @bookrecswithsteph

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

sadiereadthat's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Mental illness

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Abandonment

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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

killerpancake's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, and Abandonment

The main character experiments on mice in a lab as a part of her research. The experiments are details but also integral to the plot. She does honor then in a way that was extremely touching and meaningful. I would encourage people to experience this really quiet but moving book about science and belief.

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Cursing, Infertility, Excrement, Vomit, and Pregnancy

dhritigupta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

i really didn’t think i’d enjoy a book about religion, but it was so much more than that. yaa gyasi writes things in a way that has me convinced she knows maybe everything about the world!! so for that reason, even though this book was really slow and really sad and kind of out of the realm of what i usually read about, i really liked it. i wouldn’t say it’s enjoyable, but it’s kind of like when u push on a bruise? and as always she was able to touch on so so many themes!! it’s just a story that i’m happy i got to read, even if it was really painful. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Abandonment

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

bgmartin0696's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Grief, and Abandonment