Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Sublime Royaume by Yaa Gyasi

7 reviews

mxpringle's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

5.0

This book talked about really hard topics, but it was beautiful enough to where that was completely okay and warranted. It had such a unique reflection on both the value and harms of religion to a person's life that I found so inspiring. All of the hard topics that were brought up were like experiencing them the way real people experience them, not merely for a plot point, but intentionally crafting those as background to a person's character. This is the best book I have read in a long time. It was so stunningly beautiful that I'm honestly left a little bit unmoored after finishing it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

abrdoodle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

thewrongalice's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racism, and Abandonment

chaos_fairy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

4.0

The story explores the apparently incongruous viewpoints of science and religion, both central to the development of main character, Gifty. Born to Ghanaian immigrants in Alabama, Gifty is raised in an Evangelical tradition by her mother, and as an adult, works in researching neuroscience out of Stanford University. From a family of four, to a family of two. Where the missing family members have gone is revealed in time, but from the outset it is clear that Gifty has had her share of childhood trauma. 

Gifty uses religion and science in very similar ways, though at different stages of her life. Both, for her, are refuges from a world in which she feels powerless; both, she turns to for answers to some of the most difficult questions. 

It takes time for Transcendent Kingdom to move from an interesting array of snippets from Gifty’s past and present to the engaging and thought-provoking heart, but once you get there, there’s so much to unpack. Much like Gifty herself. 

The story includes starkly honest representations of substance abuse, addiction, depression, abandonment and grief, and how the human - mind, soul, brain - strives to process and overcome these hardships. At times overtly religious or loaded with scientific jargon, it is never alienating. It is simply the world as Gifty strives to understand it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

mhinnen's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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

“ how does an animal restrain itself from pursuing a reward especially when there is risk involved?”
This is a central question that guides Gifty’s life.  The story spans her childhood and young adulthood and was sometimes hard to figure out the linear story. She is born in Ghana and her mom brings her and her older brother to Alabama. Between addiction and depression controlling her family, as well as tension as a Ghanaian child in Alabama, she turns away from her evangelical upbringing and looks for answers in science. Over time she finds the connection between God and science as she works out where faith fits into the picture. I enjoy Yaa Gyasi’s writing style and while intense, this book was interesting and redemptive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse and Suicide attempt

charliedezeeuw's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Abandonment

bekah445's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy