Scan barcode
addi_m's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Torture, Sexual violence, War, Slavery, Mental illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual content, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual harassment, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Child death
snipinfool's review against another edition
- 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
This story grabbed my attention from the beginning. Both matriarch’s stories were compelling. Noting how slavery affected each generation took the reader through a full range of emotions. Yaa Gyasi did an excellent job of conveying the struggle and pain felt by the characters in her book. My favorite character was H. A lessor man would have likely broken when faced with the hardships of H’s life. I could imagine H coming home after working in the coal mines in Alabama. I could see in my mind the coal dust clinging to his clothing, skin, and hair and could imagine his want to be as far from it as he could be. I especially liked the ending. Sometimes life has a way of putting people in one’s life that need to be there. This was an excellent story and I would recommend it to everyone.
Graphic: Colonisation, Racial slurs, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug abuse, and Slavery
Moderate: Trafficking and Kidnapping
_oliviasmith_'s review against another edition
Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Death of parent, Excrement, Death, Rape, Child death, Child abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
htedesco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Moderate: Suicide, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, Death of parent, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Blood, Colonisation, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Drug abuse, Vomit, and Homophobia
mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition
- 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
It is awe inspiring and heart breaking how many generations were and still are affected by slavery. How slavery has direct ties to the oppression and cyclical struggles of black people in America and in Africa. White oppression has killed generations of black joy.
This story demonstrates the struggle of being a woman so brilliantly too. How many generations of woman went undefined until a man defined her.
I learned so much through the course of this book. The birth of our modern prison industrial complex being born of the enslavement of African and Black men is something that makes perfect sense. But it was laid out so clearly here. Some of the violence was so vividly painted that I keep retracing those scenes in my mind. Some of the heartbreak too.
Absolute must read. We have been privileged to not know these stories for long enough. And we are privileged now to see these stories through the perspective of each of these characters.
Graphic: Trafficking, Classism, Genocide, Violence, Racism, Rape, Confinement, Death, Body horror, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Torture
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Infertility, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment, Drug use, Vomit, Xenophobia, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, War, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Suicide
hmw102's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Body horror, Child death, Excrement, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Rape, Death, Violence, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Torture, Racial slurs, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Police brutality, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
laurenmaria422's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Slavery, Police brutality, Infidelity, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Rape, Racism, Kidnapping, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
madelinedalton's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Death and Addiction
taunusleserin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
...schon allein wegen der stilistischen Idee, das Leben von 14 Personen in zwei parallelen Erzählsträngen über 7 Generationen hinweg zu erzählen.
Das Buch besteht entsprechend aus 14 mehr oder minder abgeschlossenen Essays, die von Effia und Esi - zwei Halbschwestern, die sich nie kennengelernt haben - und ihren jeweiligen Nachkommen erzählen. Esi wird als Sklavin von Ghana in die USA verschleppt, Effia und ihre Nachkommen leben in Ghana.
Die ersten drei Kapitel hatte ich noch Mühe, reinzufinden, danach hat es mich gepackt und ich wollte unbedingt wissen, wie es weiter geht. Die Autorin befasst sich vor allem mit der Frage, ob sich Traumata in der DNA eines Menschen wiederfinden. Die Kapitel empfand ich teilweise eher zu kurz, da ich gerne mehr über die jeweilige Person erfahren hätte.
Wie man sich vorstellen kann, sind die Inhalte harte Kost, das Ende bildet dafür einen einigermaßen versöhnlichen Abschluss.
Definitiv ein Jahreshighlight für mich.
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, and Slavery
greenan26's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Colonisation, Classism, Homophobia, Rape, Trafficking, Torture, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Excrement and Confinement