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A review by mirandalikesbooks
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book read like a memoir or a stream of consciousness. Like memories pieced together. It was an intimate POV of a first generation experience, of growing up black in the south, of the changing nature of faith and religion, of what it's like to see your family struggle with mental health issues and addiction. You really get to know who Gifty is and what drives her throughout this novel.
I would recommend this if you're drawn to memoirs or particularly reflective fiction.
My biggest qualm with this book is that I felt like I was waiting for the book to pick up a plot line that it never did. I also don't read a lot of books this tied up in Christianity, so I may have not been the perfect audience.The hard cut at the end to her being in a relationship with Han having already experienced her mom's passing felt too sudden for me too.
I would recommend this if you're drawn to memoirs or particularly reflective fiction.
My biggest qualm with this book is that I felt like I was waiting for the book to pick up a plot line that it never did. I also don't read a lot of books this tied up in Christianity, so I may have not been the perfect audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Racism, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Addiction
Moderate: Death