Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

167 reviews

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

beetsbydwight's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, Child death, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racial slurs, Grief, and Abandonment

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

nessreadsalot's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

4.25

In Transcendent Kingdom Yaa Gyasi tells the story of Gifty and her family as they move from Ghana to Alabama hoping for a better life. 

Told from Gifty's point of view, we see how things don't go quite as they expected and how this harsh reality chips away at the families dream and then eventually the family itself. 

Gifty struggles to understand the addiction that took her brother from her and strives to better understand it through her studies and professional life. When her mother comes to stay with her Gifty learns more about the deep rooted trauma that runs through her family. 

This book was wonderfully written and while I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the fabulous Bahni Turpin I really want to reread the physical book so that I can note some quotations and parts of the book that really stood out to me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Addiction, and Drug abuse

avacadosocks's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death

Minor: Death of parent

leonormsousa's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.5

I really liked this one. It is beautifully written, and the constant time jumps were done perfectly, which is something quite rare. It hooked me from the start, and I found myself wanting more at the end, even though I know this was the perfect size for this story.

Small note that I was pleasantly surprised by the queer representation in this one (MC is queer). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Racism, and Religious bigotry