Reviews tagging 'Death'

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

312 reviews

vanesst's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Grief

Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide attempt

Minor: Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty

chsm8's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Drug abuse, Animal death, Medical content, Drug use, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Racism, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Death

dgolds11's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Racial slurs

readingwithgoose's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Drug use, Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death

kerrence30's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

Through flashbacks ranging throughout the life of the protagonist we learn how her various key relationships develop, how it affects her, and eventually, at present day, how they come to conclusion. This story shines a light on the experiences of a first generation family from Ghana moving to the USA, the strong influence and contrasts of religious worship from traditional upbringing to adulthood in Alabama, and dark topics such as addiction, depression and death. 
Concise and emotional, was great to listen to, well read, authentic, heartfelt. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide attempt

hileahrious's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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

3.75

A story of the search for meaning. And that, I find, is what makes it feel so relatable, even though the protagonist’s life experiences are nothing like mine. The quest for purpose, especially with the dis/comfort of evangelical religion mixed in, keeps you hooked on what will happen next. But not in a suspenseful way…. simply, as a reader you also become eager to discover if there is refuge for the main character Gifty, because maybe, just maybe, that means you yourself will one day find it as well.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Death

cameronrose00's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was so thoughtfully written. The story just seemed to unfold as you came to know the characters, especially the main character, Gifty, and her family history as she grapples with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Addiction

Moderate: Grief, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

There is a lot of difficult relationship between mother and daughter(protagonist). There is also a lot of religious trauma and questioning.

ollie_again's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Death and Grief

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Abandonment

siomaii's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Racial slurs, Grief, Death, Drug abuse, and Addiction

Moderate: Death of parent and Forced institutionalization

mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

This book read like a memoir or a stream of consciousness. Like memories pieced together. It was an intimate POV of a first generation experience, of growing up black in the south, of the changing nature of faith and religion, of what it's like to see your family struggle with mental health issues and addiction. You really get to know who Gifty is and what drives her throughout this novel. 

I would recommend this if you're drawn to memoirs or particularly reflective fiction. 

My biggest qualm with this book is that I felt like I was waiting for the book to pick up a plot line that it never did. I also don't read a lot of books this tied up in Christianity, so I may have not been the perfect audience.

The hard cut at the end to her being in a relationship with Han having already experienced her mom's passing felt too sudden for me too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Racism, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Addiction

Moderate: Death