Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

34 reviews

demeryg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I thought this book was fantastic. Though I would say at  points it was slow.  It took me a moment to fall into the rhythm but once I did it was game over! 
I found the topics in this book really educational and relevant to other genocides happening at the hands of USA and Britain. It was informative and also a beautiful story between the mix of characters and their interpersonal relationships.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Colonisation, Xenophobia, War, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Racism, Gun violence, Blood, Violence, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Child death, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Death

kalobar's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Violence, War, Sexual assault, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Alcoholism, and Blood

Minor: Infertility

florenceassetto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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 absolutely incredible, honestly one of the most impactful reads i have ever done. i have never connected with characters like i did here and i laughed for them and CRIED for them and hoped for them and it was so powerful. a must read for everyone i would recommend 100 times over

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Genocide, Animal death, Death, Grief, Rape, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, War, and Child death

Moderate: Blood and Colonisation

fionafsw's review against another edition

challenging funny informative reflective sad fast-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

Fact and fiction blend, past and present blend, as I read about the Nigerian civil war next to BBC headlines and couldn't stop thinking about the indiscriminate misery and human suffering Israel has unleashed in its current war in Gaza. It is impossible in March 2024 to read about starvation and not be reminded that 1 in 6 children <2 years are acutely malnourished in Gaza, with dozens dying of dehydration and malnutrition. The sheer desperation of a population brought to its knees and then beaten while on the ground translates seamlessly from the late 1960s to this week.

There's not much more I can say about this powerful novel except that Adichie manages to weave humour throughout to help the reader get through the horrors of war and to present something so alien to readers like me who have had the dumb luck of knowing nothing but peacetime through an individual, human lens rather than statistics or political or military manoeuvres. And for readers like me who had no idea about Nigeria, her fantastic writing brought to life every smell, taste, and sensory input. 

But where the book really excels, I think, is in describing tension between individuals in the most subtle way that still makes it obvious. Tension (sexual and otherwise) that you could cut with a knife, as if you were there, in the room, as the protagonist. As Richard might say, it's really quite fantastic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Infidelity, Colonisation, Genocide, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, War, Blood, Murder, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Classism and Grief

Minor: Pregnancy

arayo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, War, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Rape, Alcohol, Death, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Body horror, Infertility, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Blood, and Excrement

andeulea's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Chimamanda Adichie is great at humanizing characters amidst war. While the Biafran War was a central theme, the focus on the characters' emotions and thoughts takes precedence.

War is undeniably devastating, people in first-world countries (like me) may struggle to comprehend the impact on every individual affected by such atrocities. Adichie skillfully avoids confining characters into these "victim" stereotypes, portraying each one as uniquely human, with inherent flaws and individuality, both within and beyond the context of war. It prompted my reflection on the consciousness of every individual, highlighting shared dreams and desires.

Adichie also weaves three distinct narratives, each representing a unique perspective of the war and family – Olanna, Ugwu, and Richard. These perspectives collectively contribute to a rich and comprehensive portrayal of the war and its impact on their lives, families, and community.

I'm grateful to be exposed to narratives that we don't hear about in our history classes. Would recommend this if you're interested in historical fiction and curious about the Nigerian Civil War. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Blood, Violence, War, and Murder

mscalls's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, Medical content, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Death, Sexual assault, Grief, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, War, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Blood, Vomit, Sexual violence, Genocide, Gore, Classism, and Child death

Moderate: Colonisation and Animal death

amgarrido's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I have no words - I have been trying to think of a review that will do this book justice in the two months or so since I finished reading it but can’t.

I continue to be equal parts devastated and enamoured.

I strongly recommend you watch Chimamanda’s interviews about ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ on YouTube if you’d like some additional context, or want to understand how her family’s reality enmeshed with creative licence and imagination to create this novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Rape, Grief, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, War, and Death of parent

eelizard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Murder, Deportation, Genocide, Gun violence, Classism, Death, Child death, Confinement, Police brutality, Violence, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Blood

ebun_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Blood, and Police brutality

Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Rape

Minor: Colonisation and Panic attacks/disorders