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A review by litwithlo
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“Surely, there’s strength in being dressed for a storm, even when there’s no storm in sight?”
I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for what feels like an eternity and was so happy to snuggle up with it last weekend. I simply *adored* Gyasi’s first novel, Homegoing, and was so eager to see what else she had in store for me.
The tl;dr: she definitely delivered but I was not IN this novel as much as I was her first. To start: they were incredibly different. While both novels I think *technically* fall within the contemporary fiction genre, Homegoing has more of a historical fiction angle…and we all know I have a soft spot for history, giving it a slight leg up. But, it didn’t mean Transcendent Kingdom wasn’t still packed with meaning and beautiful writing, as Gyasi has made clear is her M.O.
It was gorgeously written and I loved the strength and determination in her female protagonist. The subject matter was pertinent and the commentary around the issues Gyasi shored up in her storytelling was powerful and important, proving once again that her voice is one that should never be ignored. I just love the way she creates and will forever buy every book she writes.
Things I would have loved to see: more than a single perspective. This is something I thought Gyasi did an exceptional job within Homegoing and I think I allowed myself to subconsciously believe that maybe Transcendent Kingdom would be more of the same. It was not but I think that was the point. A singular character's journey through life… we weren’t supposed to get any other perspective, it wasn’t at all about that.
So, really, I think having read and been in SO deep with her first novel made the second not as cherished in my mind. But it was so worth the read and she is an incredible talent.Plus, I didn’t hate the happy ending. Read this!
Emotional Feelometer: 😍 - really loved this one, but wasn’t haunted as I had hoped I would be.
I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for what feels like an eternity and was so happy to snuggle up with it last weekend. I simply *adored* Gyasi’s first novel, Homegoing, and was so eager to see what else she had in store for me.
The tl;dr: she definitely delivered but I was not IN this novel as much as I was her first. To start: they were incredibly different. While both novels I think *technically* fall within the contemporary fiction genre, Homegoing has more of a historical fiction angle…and we all know I have a soft spot for history, giving it a slight leg up. But, it didn’t mean Transcendent Kingdom wasn’t still packed with meaning and beautiful writing, as Gyasi has made clear is her M.O.
It was gorgeously written and I loved the strength and determination in her female protagonist. The subject matter was pertinent and the commentary around the issues Gyasi shored up in her storytelling was powerful and important, proving once again that her voice is one that should never be ignored. I just love the way she creates and will forever buy every book she writes.
Things I would have loved to see: more than a single perspective. This is something I thought Gyasi did an exceptional job within Homegoing and I think I allowed myself to subconsciously believe that maybe Transcendent Kingdom would be more of the same. It was not but I think that was the point. A singular character's journey through life… we weren’t supposed to get any other perspective, it wasn’t at all about that.
So, really, I think having read and been in SO deep with her first novel made the second not as cherished in my mind. But it was so worth the read and she is an incredible talent.
Emotional Feelometer: 😍 - really loved this one, but wasn’t haunted as I had hoped I would be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide