Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

67 reviews

mx_sunshine's review against another edition

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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Suicide and Car accident

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

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

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

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

kkocik's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Abandonment, and Colonisation

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

someonelikeblue's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Hate crime, Police brutality, and Car accident

nannahnannah's review

4.0

"Homegoing" is less a novel (as it says on the cover) than a connected series of short stories covering two lines of ancestors stemming from one single woman: Maame, from Ghana.

I've never read anything like this. It covers three hundred years, beginning in Ghana, and splitting to become an American story as well. Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, are Maame's daughters who live in two different villages in Ghana. And that's where their stories diverge. Esi is sold as a slave and shipped to America, while Effia stays in Ghana.

Esi's children are born into slavery in America, and her line continues through the Civil War, jazz clubs, dope houses, coal mines, etc., right up to contemporary America. And Effia's ancestors in Ghana deal with wars between the Fante and Asante nations--not to mention all the while struggling with British colonization.

I'm not going to lie, this book was ... heavy. Hard to read during several parts (maybe most of the book?), but it was ultimately worth it. Will I read it again? Maybe not, but I don't regret reading it.

Every character is uniquely interesting, flawed, real, and compelling. Even when I disliked someone, I still wanted to read more about their story. Yaa Gyasi is an incredible character writer. Each character is also somehow connected to every person that came before them, somehow haunted, maybe. One line of the ancestry with fire, one line with water.

And at the end, they meet together in the Most satisfying way!

This is the shortest review ever, and I told you maybe nothing of my actual opinions on it, but that's okay. It took me a couple days to even write this much. It wasn't even the "heaviest" of books, but I can't really gather my thoughts here. The writing is wonderful, and the whole book is constructed in a beautiful, impactful way. I guess that's enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Slavery

also: ableist slurs

rmperash's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail