Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

26 reviews

adriano64's review

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

abception's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Ableism and Abandonment

Minor: Alcohol, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Racism, and Classism

crybabybea's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

3.0

This memoir is incredibly important for its time, and Maya Angelou continues to be an important figure in Black history, not only for her clear technical ability in writing, but for her bravery to speak unabashedly about her life as a Black woman in the Jim Crow south. Published during one of the many dangerous peaks of white supremacy, during a time when civil rights activists were being targeted, harassed, and murdered, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings stands out as one of the most important memoirs ever written.

Despite its importance, I found it a bit of a tough read; probably because of the older style of writing that came across at times as disjointed. As a coming-of-age story, it's enjoyable and easy to get through, with plenty of moments of unbelievably beautiful prose that really showcase Maya Angelou's poetic talents.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, and Alcoholism

library_of_al's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

I like the writing and I found a lot of what Angelou was saying relatable in some ways, but I didn’t quite understand the ending. For the whole book I felt like I was waiting for something more, but it never came. I think there might be a second book to this, though I’m not sure. What Angelou had written is very insightful of the Black experience and honestly people should be forced to read this book instead of “To Kill A Mockingbird” because Angelou just captures experiences so much better than Harper Lee ever could. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

jalexpulliamkepler's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

4.0

Interesting and often moving but sometimes felt more like a series of essays than a memoir

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Child abuse, Classism, Sexism, Pedophilia, Rape, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and War

brynalexa's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

It’s hard to give a poet anything but five stars on their autobiography. I can’t imagine having such a strong memory of my formative years after going through so many transitions and traumas. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Abandonment, Medical content, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Lesbophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, War, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, and Alcohol

mreallyhatesyou's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

sarah_hutchins's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts

ritte_e's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Racism, and Rape

Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Bullying, Grief, Medical content, Body shaming, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, and Slavery

madamenovelist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Hate crime, Abandonment, Rape, Pedophilia, Racism, Racial slurs, Gore, Grief, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Car accident

A very thoughtful, caring, emotional memoir with exquisite prose, but mind the warnings. The way she describes being SA’d as a child is extremely graphic, disturbing, and heartbreaking. I am grateful for her honesty and bravery telling exactly how all the victims of such a horror have to walk a tightrope of expectations, and how adults often make it harder for a child to tell anyone if they are harmed. Best part is how much love overflows in the pages for everything dear to her. Maya Angelou is a wonderful soul.