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4.6 AVERAGE
4.6 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
This book had me for a moment, thinking I wasn’t going to like it. Then it turned it around. I wanted to read this book because I am 100% sure it is going to be turned into a show or a series. If not, someone is missing out on a GREAT opportunity for a limited series or more with creativity. This book is really a love letter to black history and culture and the stories that connect and create our families. I do feel like at one point I was toiling through the book and was not enjoying it. Then it drew me back in. It’s definitely an epic and I can see why it has mixed reviews. It connects to specific things in our culture that only specific sub groups may relate to. It takes place at a time when there were certain things in our culture that may not be as acceptable today. But it has a rich blackness that connects all of us.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Slavery, Violence
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
This book is, without a doubt, the biggest regret of my reading life. At 800 pages, it consumed the time I could have spent on 2-3 other books, yet I stubbornly forced myself to finish it, much to my own disappointment. The novel seemed to aim for the depth and complexity other books have achieved but failed miserably in execution. For a debut, attempting such an ambitious length was a huge gamble that did not pay off. It felt like enduring 1,000 episodes of a show filled with nothing but filler. The lack of a solid plot meant the story relied heavily on its characters to carry it, but they were poorly written and lacked depth. Adding to this, the book needs serious trigger warnings for highly sensitive abuse content. While I understand the author wanted to convey the tragedies of slavery, her use of this content felt amateurish and clumsy, detracting from the gravity of the subject. As the pages dragged on, the book only got worse, leaving me baffled at the overwhelmingly positive reviews it has received. I cannot fathom how this book is so highly praised when it was such a frustrating and time-consuming experience.
Skip this one. As "Homegoing" is one of my all time favourite novels I was hoping this would be similar to that but I was so utterly wrong.
Skip this one. As "Homegoing" is one of my all time favourite novels I was hoping this would be similar to that but I was so utterly wrong.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
Fantastic book.
Read the book! it is long, but put frankly this book contains multitudes and reminded me how much I love historical epics. Its non linear telling was a bit tricky to follow at points, simply put that is a whole lot of familial details. But the specifics of existing as a black person, and a Black Woman specifically, and different layers of identity and how time plays a role in that building and evolving is so clearly drawn in this novel. It is 800 pages so it will chase a lot of folks away but I loved it in the way I loved the book Pachinko, so much beauty and humor in this families story which co exists with layers of deep trauma and survival. And I loved Ailey in the end in that she grew up and embraced her history with the help of her family and mentors. Truthfully the hardest part was watching her early college years and the growing pains of that experience, combined with her oldest sisters story. And lastly, Uncle Root is a treasure of a character, and the community of her family is the hero of the story, Ailey's realization of that value takes time and I am grateful to be able to read that journey.
This historical fiction weaves together a land’s history and its people alongside a young woman’s coming-of-age story in such a powerful way. A life-changing read. It made me think deeply about my own Ancestors.
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is an amazingly written book about land and a family through generations of oppression, resilience, and love. It is a testament to Black families, Black communities, Black colleges, and the importance of Black history. Don’t be daunted by the long page count, it flies by and you’ll be wanting more by the end. It is a tough read, though. Content warnings for physical and sexual abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes