Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

26 reviews

pinkberryoasis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Racism, and Self harm

amberinbookland's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

hollyd19's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

This affecting novel follows Gifty, an Alabaman daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, who is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience. Her passion stems in part from her brother's death as a teenager due to an overdose. 

The story is slow-moving, reflective, and tenderly poignant. Gifty spends much of her time attempting to find a bearable balance of her faith and her profession. She struggles with the questions that plague her — first as a girl in youth group, implacable by platitudes but desperately eager to be good, then as a scientist, guarded yet drawn to the beautiful, comforting mystery of belief. 

Part of what makes this book so good is that it is simultaneously simple and extraordinarily perceptive. There is no major driving plot. You know most of what will happen before it does. And yet, ultimately, Gyasi found a way to engrossingly bring us along on the introspective journey of an earnest, thoughtful, brilliant woman sorting through her pain and grasping at hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Drug abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Self harm, and Racism

Minor: Medical content and Forced institutionalization

francestea's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

The writing is fantastic, it reads like a true memoir. I found the plot interesting, juxtaposing the mice research with her life flashbacks, yet somehow it felt like not very much happened.  The characters are quite sad throughout- it was a very heavy feeling book for me.  Nana was my favourite character and I would’ve loved to hear more from him. I look forward to reading more of this author!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death

shelfmadewoman's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

An amazing piece of writing. It’s hard for me to review because it felt a little too personal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide

brittstagram's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Suicide, Self harm, Grief, Drug use, and Death