Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

22 reviews

plantybooklover's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

   I listened to this as an audio book, and I am glad I did. the narrator for the audio book did a FANTASTIC job. I was sort of amused at first thinking "wow she did all the voices" just like when I was smaller and someone was doing story time, but the narrator really DID do all the voices without being condescending or strange, she did them all and really added to the telling of the story. It was more like a performance, than just an audio book narration. 
I initially did not want to read this because I enjoyed Homegoing and I could tell this would be different, but I like having a audiobook going when I'm at the gym, and my library is limited, so this was it. I really did not want to read another tragic tale of drug abuse and death, but in the end, I did. Mostly actually because I forgot the blurb and by the time we got to the drug use, it was mid story. 
Overall I enjoyed the book, there were some slower sections that I wished had moved along faster- but I solved that by speeding up the narration!!  I thought it was a very good book for book clubs or classrooms because it opens up a lot for discussion. I was surprised and delighted by the ending, which to me seemed like a happy one, which is not at all what I was expecting mid novel. 
I think this is a great jumping off point for discussion of women in STEM, people of color in academia, rascism in America and drug use/abuse crisis. 
Not one of my favorite reads of the year-because it was a little just depressing at moments, but giving it 5 starts because it's well written and tells an important story that added to my understanding of the world. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual content

jaynovara's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

lenni_sc's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual content

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

demog_and_stories's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book tore my heart out, mostly because I felt called to myself, the pain I’ve caused others, and the pain others have caused me. For as long as Gyasi is publishing I will be following her work closely. A wonderful second novel to follow Homegoing. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual content

linesiunderline's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

Some books display their brilliance to you almost immediately. Transcendent Kingdom is a book that reveals its brilliance slowly, quietly, until by the end you are left knowing that there is so much to this work that you have seen only some of its beauties, and even so, you are amazed.

I am only beginning to appreciate all of the things that are breathtaking about this book, that I know will linger with me, becoming part of me and how I see the world. You’re left with more questions than answers. Invitations to consider big things and small and the story of your own life.

Gifty will feel as real to you as anyone you’ve ever known. Her humanity and complexity may be the most impressive thing about this book. It’s certainly one of the most memorable. She is the heart of the novel.

Transcendent Kingdom will be one of my top reads of this year. I cannot recommend it highly enough and also have to praise Bahni Turpin’s stellar audio performance.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

Minor: Sexual content, Excrement, Medical content, and Pregnancy

mirireads's review against another edition

challenging reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

foreverinastory's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

Rep: Bisexual Ghanian-American female MC, depressed female Ghanian immigrant side character, narcotic addicted Ghanian-American male side character, supporting cast of BIPOC characters, queer female side character.

CWs: Addiction, alcohol consumption, child death, death, drug abuse/use, death from overdose, grief, mental illness (depression), misogyny, racism, religious bigotry, sexual content (mild), sexism. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.5

I like this more than Yaa Gyasi's first book, Homegoing. I like the way that the plot and the characterization get uncovered a little bit at a time. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

n_asyikin_'s review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

A deeply moving book that led its readers to confront a multitude of vulnerabilities & draw strength from them in a story driven by strong character analyses. Gifty was in search for answers, wanting to make sense of the loss of her brother (to addiction) & mother (to depression). 

Perhaps, I'm being biased; there were many parallels between Gifty & I - we're both in the same field (though focused on different approaches), we're both grappling with our purpose & how our past (relating to mental illness) influenced it, and we're both struggling with our faith & it's place in our life. Transcendent Kingdom explored all of these, & for that, it became special to me.

The book cemented my view that Gyaasi is a master storyteller. Gyaasi's proses were effortlessly beautiful; structured in concise paragraphs, flowed between differing timeline, held by the topic being contemplated. I adored how some analogies stayed & repeated (though not overly done), embedded within the tapestry of the story. The characters were dynamic; even in their death, or brief appearances, they were significant in a way that highlighted their impact, no matter how brief, in Gifty's life (i.e. the narrator). Do note that for those who preferred plot-driven story with clear resolution, you may found the story difficult to follow. But I still think that the contemplative & wise manner Gifty shared her thoughts & her experience were more than compelling; as a narrator, she was a unique voice.

This story felt like it was written for me specifically. I found a kindred spirit in Gifty. The book was relatively short, but I took my time to savour, to reflect on the stories relayed by her. I found myself needing breaks in between; purely because the story led me to my own discoveries. Gifty's "letters" to God really hit me hard. 

I know I will sound cringey, but the book was rather transcending to me - it led me to go beyond the barriers I placed around my feelings. The book moved me to tears. One of my best reads. And Gyaasi is also becoming one of my favourites. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Ableism and Racism

Minor: Sexual content