tiffyb's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Classism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, War, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Deportation, Infidelity, Slavery, Genocide, and Grief
asset_exe's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Spoiler
Her descendants' stories connect fiction to reality through the presentation of events such as the war of the golden stool (The Asante-British wars), Kwame-Nkrumah's victory to independence and modern day Ghana. Esa, on the other hand, is taken away by slave traders and traded to America as a slave. Her descendants' stories highlight the struggles/hardships that black Americans underwent during slavery, Jim Crow, and modern day USA. Through the two sides being connected yet very different, in terms of struggle and hardship, Gyasi is able to bring out the interconnection between Africans and African Americans and share the struggles that each black generation underwent due to a common denominator, white people.Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Racism, Homophobia, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Drug abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexism, Addiction, and Suicide
rieviolet's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Still, I think that this kind of narrative structure (chapters with an ever-changing point of view) is just not my personal preference. Inevitably (as it happens, for example, with short stories collections), there were certain characters' storylines that I appreciated more compared to others. In general, I found the final chapters (those closer to us in time) less engaging.
There were also sections that I liked but that ended a bit too abruptly, leaving too much left unsaid about crucial events and the characters' fate (and not all of the storylines got mentioned again and expanded upon, further on in the narration).
At times, the book got a bit too graphic for my (I admit a bit delicate) sensibilities, but it does deal with very heavy topics; just be sure to check the content warnings.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, Sexual content, Excrement, Kidnapping, Death, Drug abuse, Slavery, Racism, Colonisation, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Torture
Moderate: War, Child abuse, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Ableism, Murder, Infertility, Bullying, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Child death
dreamersmind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.25
Quotes:
“You think you know but you don’t know, “she said. “Evil is like a shadow. It follows you”
“Trust is a thing to be earned. I don’t trust you. I have seen what power can do to men, and you are from one of the most powerful families.”
“This is the problem of history. We cannot know that which we were not there to see and hear and experience for ourselves. We must rely upon the words of others. Those who were there in the olden days, they told stories to the children so that the children would know, so that the children could tel stories to their children. And so on and so on. But now we come upon the problem of conflicting stories. Kojo Nayeli says that when the warriors came to his village their coats were red, but Kwame Adu says that they were blue. Whose story do we believe then? The boys were silent. They stared at him, waiting. We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history, you must always ask yourself, whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out you must find that story too. From there you begin to get a clearer yet still imperfect picture”
Graphic: Murder, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Slavery, and Racism
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicide
joppiereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Trafficking, Violence, Addiction, Child abuse, Racism, Rape, Colonisation, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Deportation, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, War, Abortion, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infertility, Murder, Sexual violence, and Mental illness
ahager11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Slavery, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Pregnancy, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and War
hannahbailey's review
- 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
Graphic: Colonisation, Child death, Blood, Death, Child abuse, Slavery, War, Kidnapping, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Death of parent, Confinement, Bullying, Mental illness, Grief, and Deportation
travisppe's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Drug use, Excrement, Hate crime, Infertility, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Trafficking, Addiction, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, War, Vomit, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
msvernier's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Abandonment, Rape, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Child death, and Slavery
lyzz's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Violence, Racism, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Excrement, Murder, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Racial slurs, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Sexual violence and Rape
The book travels from the 1600s to modern day through the perspective of two black families. It shows the horror of slavery, colonialism and racism.