Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

103 reviews

erin52's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Trafficking, War, Racial slurs, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Addiction, Child abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Slavery, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, and Genocide

jae_bird's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child death, Child abuse, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Slavery, Infidelity, Confinement, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Blood, Colonisation, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Police brutality, Murder, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Drug abuse, Bullying, War, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Suicide, and Homophobia

fluffy1st's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death, Police brutality, Medical trauma, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug use, and Death of parent

marissasa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book is heartbreaking, harrowing, devastating, and deeply moving. The story stems from one woman name Maame who gave birth to two daughters in different villages, each half-sister unknowing of the other's existence. Each chapter alternates between the next generation of both branches of the family, and tells different but parallel stories of the lives each child lives. It's a story of the lasting effects of colonization, war, and slavery on Ghanian people both in the homeland and in United States. As the book spans 8 generations, it ties major historical events to the appropriate character's narratives for that time period. There are so many difficult and upsetting situations that family members on both sides face, and they become deeply flawed but complex characters because of their experiences and the experiences of their parents that have been passed down both verbally and metaphysically. Generational trauma is a central theme throughout the book and I could feel my heart ache each time a character went through something or had a fear that could be tied back to experiences in their parent's or ancestor's chapter just a few pages before. The ending brings everything full circle with the recurring symbols of water, fire, and the black stone passed down from Maame herself, and it left me with a bittersweet feeling knowing both the indescribable pain and incredible resilience of each ancestor that lead to the two latest generations being able to come together and feel connected to the land where it all started.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, Racism, Vomit, War, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Violence, and Kidnapping

hnagarne's review

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Rape, Slavery, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use

Minor: Death of parent

readingwithkt's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Trafficking, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Racism, Abandonment, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Slavery

crimelessvictim's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Medical trauma, Rape, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Murder, Infidelity, Drug use, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Infertility, Grief, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, and Confinement

kallan's review

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual content, Racism, and Death

Minor: War

heyitsashleigh's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Slavery, Death of parent, Child death, Addiction, Child abuse, Colonisation, Rape, and Sexual violence

rebekah_florence's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

I’ve never felt so whole after completing a book.  This is THE best multi-generational family saga I’ve ever read (and I do love to read them).  I both hated and loved that we only got to spend a chapter with each character-hated because I longed to learn so much more from each person’s life, loved because I can see how the pivotal moments of each person’s story contributed to the family more and more.  Each character was unique and so beautifully and completely developed. Everything about this book was perfect. This will stick with me forever. “Welcome home”❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Slavery, Child death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racism, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Infidelity and War

Minor: Religious bigotry