Reviews

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

the_eggelstone's review against another edition

3.0

While I thoroughly enjoyed ‚Homegoing‘, this one left me wanting more. I don’t know if it was the writing style in a diary-like stream of consciousness where memories of main character Gifty, her religious upbringing and her ultimate personal struggles between science and religion, the reverberations of the death of her brother by drug abuse and the cold hard-working mom who slips into a depression after her son‘s death. All heavy themes, but I felt many things were quite stereotypical and left me uninterested. The spiritual battle inside Gifty, her beliefs vs her scientific work did not really convince me.

Things just panned out and happened. I was expecting more emotional scenes and less religion-reflections. I think the book should have said so much more in so many more ways and it delivered very little in the end.

Would highly recommend ‚Homegoing‘ but this one only if you‘re really hooked by the blurb.

saeta's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

moonlitmeda's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

juli_ahhh's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

misswired's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

riroreads's review against another edition

2.0

Very science-y, very religious (context of religion without being peachy, but just NOT interesting to me to read).

thundrflap's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

bbqxaxiu's review against another edition

3.0

3.5/5.0! Nana's story will stick with me for a while. I'd recommend this book.

rolypolyreading's review against another edition

I think normally I would’ve finished this book because it’s an audiobook and I’m always listening to one anyway, but I’m trying to dnf more/earlier/not force myself to finish books this year so 

jessielinden1's review against another edition

4.0

I loved this. It has a strong point of view but is not tied up with a bow. The very nature of the topics points to lifelong exploration: science, religion, loneliness, depression, identity. Addiction, though I don’t suffer from it. I am not Black, Ghanaian or come from a southern evangelical upbringing. But I was raised by immigrants who fled their home countries, in a religion that instilled both fear and questions, leaving me as an adult with an ever evolving internal conflict between scientific rationalism and deep-rooted spirituality. I used to nurture a more direct relationship to God. I too hide from my younger self at times, and I am working on loving myself in the present as well as in the past. So I related deeply to this book and I’ll be thinking about it. I’ll probably read it again sometime. Though I found the characters interesting, it wasn’t a plot-driven book. It’s about family, loss, grief, isolation, goal setting, personal excellence, belonging. I am such a fan of Gyasi.