Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

33 reviews

bookishkellyn's review against another edition

sad tense

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

5.0

I thought this was just going to be a dual POV novel about an infertile couple (Akin & Yejide) and the second wife (Funmi) forced upon them in the tradition of polygamy. But the book’s synopsis barely touches on the real drama that unfolds in the rest of the story–lies, deception, infidelity, murder, death. Akin was THE most duplicitous character in the book. He reminds me of a quote: “Imagine the messiest person you know. It’s a man, isn’t it?” The plot twists were an A+.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Infertility, Child death, Abandonment, and Grief

Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Minor: Gun violence, Excrement, and Murder

kellyofcali's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

A very tough story - not for those who cannot deal with a series of crushing blows - but well written and I did feel it paints a picture of a certain place and experience. I don't know if I can say I enjoyed it, per se, given the heaviness, but I am glad I read it. I will say it is "pitched" mush differently than it reads - it's more about being in a marriage, relationships, and being a parent than about a second wife. I also found it ended a bit suddenly for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Child death, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Infertility, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Abandonment, and Physical abuse

Minor: War

prairiek'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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Gaslighting, Violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual content, Bullying, Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Death

plantedjess's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Child death, Grief, and Pregnancy

spkme_44292's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infertility, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infidelity

mikebond's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Meraviglioso romanzo sul legame tra genitori e figli che nemmeno le tragedie della vita possono rompere completamente.
Bella  'impostazione con due voci narranti che si alternano e raccontano i fatti dalla propria prospettiva.
Un romanzo che fa piangere, arrabbiarsi, ma anche sperare. Lo consiglio!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Infidelity and Pregnancy

Minor: Police brutality, Violence, and Sexual content

karinahull's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Complex family drama surrounding infertility, polygamy, and sexual dysfunction. Really interesting look into Nigerian customs surrounding marriage and family. Several tragic things happened in this book but I didn’t feel the full weight of them as a reader? Perhaps I needed more time with the characters!! 

Very interested in coming back to this book when I have a family, I think several things would hit much harder with that context. 

Beautiful writing, very emotionally complex story. I wish it was longer!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, and Infidelity

georgie_mb's review against another edition

emotional sad 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? Yes

5.0

An easy 5 stars. 

Heartbreaking and moving, this had me routing for all the characters. The struggle of Yejide trying to conceive soon lifts back the curtain of the lies and deceit that makes up her household. There are so many twists and turns that had me gasping out loud, and if this hadn’t been part of a readathon I would have read this quicker than I did!

I also loved the settings, shifting from Nigeria in the 1980’s to the modern day, and discovering the cultural and historical references along the way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Gun violence, Child death, Chronic illness, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Minor: Excrement

rjohns5's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Child death

annreadsabook's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Late to the party with this one, but I finally read Stay With Me and it is so good! It’s got heart, it’s got drama, it’s got social commentary. This book had me GASPING.

I loved that Adébáyọ̀ uses this book to consider the pressures that people face to become parents, and the lengths some might go to both have and protect their families. Yejide gets into some extremely difficult situations because of both external and internal pressures to have a child with the man she loves, who has taken a second wife at the behest of his family. Meanwhile, Yejide, whose own mother died giving birth to her, continues to navigate her own struggles with ideas of motherhood and family.

Through Yejide and her husband Akin, Adébáyọ̀ highlights the unique ways in which unfulfilled (and fulfilled) desires to have children can shape a marriage. And behind all of these complicated dynamics is the tumultuous political landscape of ‘80s-‘90s Nigeria. I loved seeing the development of both Yejide and Akin, and how they both worked through their desires for children (and justified their choices). Sometimes dual-POV books are tough to pull off, but I think this one was quite well done.

This is a great book for those looking for a domestic fiction that makes you think and keeps you on your toes. It’s an intimate glimpse into the battles we fight to keep the ones we love close.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, Infertility, Child death, Chronic illness, and Death