Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

63 reviews

grumpyreading's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

📚 Review: This book was devastating and beautiful. Gyasi’s writing is amazing, and the way she chose to give the characters familial ties and make this an intergenerational saga raised the stakes so much. There are long chapters and it’s slow-paced, but still hard to put down. Gyasi told these stories in a beautiful way and I’m glad I read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

akinyiakinyi's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a beautifully crafted story that poignantly captures the adversities and trials faced by generations. It begins with the birth of Maame (the Firewoman's) firstborn daughter, Effia. Effia's father had relations with a captured slave who served as a housemaid. Before running away to freedom, Maame leaves a black stone as a keepsake for her daughter.
Effia marries a white man who, without guilt, participated in the slave trade. Her descendants remain in Africa, striving to overcome the legacy of slavery while embracing their traditions amidst the Scramble for Africa, colonization, religious change, education, and the ongoing search for a sense of belonging.
Maame's second daughter, Esi, a high-born woman, is tragically captured by slave traders. Her descendants endure a harrowing journey through the horrors of slavery, grappling with racism, segregation, forced labor, limited opportunities, poverty, drug abuse, and even prostitution to survive.
It is a profound relief to witness Marcus and Marjorie reconnect and return to Africa, leaving their fears behind and embracing a newfound sense of freedom.
This story is undoubtedly worth the read. I would love to know where Esi's black stone went, or did I miss it?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

kyrag96's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Slavery

Moderate: Death and Torture

Minor: Addiction, Child death, and Abandonment

entropyseeker's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this book, but much like history, it wasn't exactly fun. The story traces the family line of two sisters over 20+ people and 300 years. Starting in Africa and ending in America. I loved that each of the characters felt so distinct. That each person had their own arcs and struggles, but we're still somehow rather short. Some lives were absolutely tragic and some were hopeful. I don't think I could re-read this, but great book nonetheless. Read the content warnings tho

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

victoriaryan89's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

minnow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

A stunning, heartbreaking book. This book follows two branches of a family throughout generations, telling heartbreaking story after heartbreaking story. We see slavery at its peak from the viewpoints of both the slaves and the African slavers, and then we follow the echoes of those experiences through multiple generations. The story is lush and vivid, graphic scenes are delivered with an edge but never go too far. 

I deducted a partial star only because there is one storyline that was paced too slowly, in my opinion. I found myself caring a little less about that character and the story dragged in that part. All other storylines were perfectly paced and engaging.

The ending of this story is beautiful, and very satisfying. All in all, a masterpiece of a book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Vomit, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying

hannah_the_bookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Excrement, Trafficking, and Colonisation

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Medical content, Grief, and Pregnancy

merakiforest's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Gore, and Mental illness

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ceedy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, and Abandonment

drrock's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse