Reviews tagging 'Death'

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

315 reviews

pkc's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? No

4.5

This was a gorgeous exploration of dueling identities. I absolutely tore through this book. I found Gifty to be the most fascinating and loveable protagonist and I rooted for her throughout. I felt emotional for her family and their various plights and I just really wanted good things for them all, but sadly good things weren’t destined throughout. Overall really loved this story. It was searingly singular but multiple all at once. By which I mean
Gifty tries to make sense of the world through both a scientific lens and a religious context all at once to answer questions about her brothers addiction and ultimate death, as well as her mothers depression. Her longing for answers is so relatable and it’s a great example of grief finding its way into the cracks in the pavement wherever you walk.

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alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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dark 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? Yes

4.0

amazing book. fantastic representations of grief 

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amvera's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

One of the best book I've read in 2023. Beautifully written and engaging. A lot of elements in this book hit too close to home and I felt it described very well what someone feels or does when going through grief, and dealing with mental illness. 
Highly recommended, just before if the many trigger warnings in case you're someone who can't deal with this kind of content at the moment

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bkwrm1317's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

Gyasi’s Transcendant Kingdom is a tale of family, heartbreak, grief, and finding answers in science to the illness of addiction. 

Our protagonist (Gifty), a Ghanaian-American scientist doing post-doc work at Stanford looks back on her childhood in Alabama with her brother Nana and her mother. Her father (nicknamed the Chin Chin Man), leaves them to go back to Ghana when Gifty is young. 

Gifty’s brother Nana is a sports star growing up, until he hurts his ankle playing HS basketball and goes from Huntsville, Alabama’s high school ball star town hero to an OxyContin addict when it’s prescribed to him during his recovery. His addiction leads to his eventual overdose and death, and pushes Gifty from an evangelical youth to a scientist studying the reward pathway in the brain to find answers she didn’t get from her brother, and that her mom was unable to give through her own grief and depression. 

Hard but hopeful, this is a well written exploration of forgiving ourselves and our loved ones, the ravages of addiction and the opioid epidemic of the US, and the African immigrant experience, as well as reflections on what is bigger than/beyond us, and the comfort religion can provide in the wake of grief and loss. 

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jasmine_peacock's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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hannahreflects's review against another edition

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

4.25

A very quiet, gently-paced book, yet incredibly raw and dark. I haven't read many books like it, and I was unfamiliar with many of the themes and experiences explored throughout. Beautiful, hard-hitting reflections on family, grief, mental health, community, identity, and the meaning of life. Yaa Gyasi's writing is incredible, but if you're looking for a fast-paced, plot-heavy read, this is not the one for you. I have to admit I was feeling a little unsatisfied at the end - can't really articulate why - but it was quite the emotional journey and I certainly don't regret reading it.

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stellaperlic's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.5

An amazing story that read like a memoir. I thought Yaa Gysai was able to capture very complex feelings in a beautiful way. 

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pandact's review against another edition

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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? Yes

4.5

   This book nailed my feelings with scientific precision, and Gyasi simultaneously leaves room for different kinds of faith. This reflective fine-tuning happened to be exactly what I was looking for, plus the slightly lonely and queer first-generation bildungsroman. I'd read a whole book where they dive into ethical and religious questions!
   I hope it's also impactful for others who read it, and it shares similar themes with Freshwater, Liturgists, Semler, and the X-files.
   Spoilers in tags

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ksuazo94's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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? Yes

3.5


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tangleroot_eli's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
A beautiful and painful book that demands the reader's full attention. Gyasi doesn't lay things out A then B then C; instead, she gives us a puzzle of C then A then Q and trusts that we as readers are clever enough and paying enough attention to put the pieces together.

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