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wai's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As a psychology person, I always go into media focused on this field with a bit of trepidation because most get it totally wrong and perpetuate harmful stereotypes. But when I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to give it a try, and I'm so glad that I did. This book is meticulously researched and reads true to form for anyone involved in the fields of psychology/mental health and/or neuroscience and embedded organically in the internal strife of the main character, Gifty, who's stuck between her future as a brilliant neuroscientist and her past/current family trauma of having an older brother die young from a substance use disorder and a mother with severe depression and suicidality but only accepts help through the form of religious intervention. I found so much of my own struggles with generational mental illness and the religion vs science debate. Multiple moments in this novel made me stop for fear of crying. This has honestly become my favorite novel of 2020 and I find it difficult to really put words to what I am feeling beyond just that I want to recommend this book to everyone I know. This is the kind of novel you recommend when you want someone to know you better. I am now a Yaa Gyasi stan and will now proceed to follow her writing for as long as she is publishing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Physical abuse and Religious bigotry
Minor: Animal death and Forced institutionalization