Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Verheven koninkrijk by Yaa Gyasi

288 reviews

ejs2000's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

hannahbailey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

4.5

This is a really good book that I'll be thinking about for a long time to come. The story follows Gifty, a scientist not only trying to make sense of reward-seeking behaviour in her mice test-subjects, but also trying to make sense of her past too.

It made me feel more open-minded towards those that devoutly follow the Bible (I'm an atheist and quite the sceptic) and I always love it when I learn something new from a book - it's why I read! It's a great way to challenge your perceptions and grow as a person IMO.

Gifty's struggle understanding the events in her life in the context of God, and later in the context of neuroscience was a really powerful way to explore these issues. The impact of her brother's drug abuse in crushing her religious faith was interesting to follow, especially with the first-person narration. The strained relationship she has with her mother added another layer to this book making it a very captivating read.

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Content Warnings

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

sarahec's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Suicide attempt

abithoughtful's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved that this took for granted that religion and science aren't incompatible and instead takes as its central thesis the idea that they're sort of... identical? Miraculous about love and grief and being open about the dark questions you hold deep in your heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal death and Suicide attempt

Minor: Racism

claudiajades's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Suicide attempt

sarah_eggleton's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

Really hard hitting stuff but a fascinating exploration into living and loving people who have a mental illness. A lot resonated with me, and the parallel of Gifty’s work in the lab was a really clever way to illustrate very intangible feelings

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Grief and Suicide attempt

Minor: Racial slurs and Abandonment

violentcello's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Suicide attempt

sydneybedell'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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

culown's review against another edition

sad

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This book does an amazing job navigating the relationships that Gifty, the main character, has with her religion and her family. 
The way mental illness and the death of a relative are explored is so deep and true that it hurts either because it brings back memories or because simply you can feel the pain Gifty has to endure

It's so depressing and real that i would advise to check carefully the tws. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, and Suicide attempt

ursa_mary's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.0

I have to say, I preferred “Homegoing.” This book reads more like an essay collection about the science of addiction and mental illness than a novel. Which, if that is what you want to read, pick this up! I appreciated the tidbits about those two issues, which I hold very close to my heart. However, the narrative was bland. Everything was spelled out. Maybe this is due to the fact that Gifty has such a logical way of thinking, and she is the narrator. And I liked that aspect of her character, the writing style just wasn’t for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt