Reviews

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

aclameiras's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

lcf1023's review against another edition

5.0

WHOA. I thought I loved "The Underground Railroad," but it doesn't hold a candle to "Homegoing." Wishing I had recommended this book to my book club instead of "Underground Railroad" as I feel that there is so much more to discuss. A beautiful, powerful novel.

louisadassow's review against another edition

5.0

I devoured this in less than 24hrs. Incredible. Beautifully written. Beautifully structured. Heart gripping, wrenching, and filling all at the same time. Deeply recommend.

masturahreads's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

3.5

kateolivia's review against another edition

4.0

stunning. tried on audio and kindle but in the end physical book was best because approaching it like a series of short stories worked better! really enjoyed.

alecruzlago's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

mschoo's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.25

nujibuji's review against another edition

4.0

I oscillated between 2 and 3 stars for a lot of the book because every new story ended so quickly and we were thrown into a new character’s life abruptly. Initially I didn’t feel like I heard enough of each character’s voice and I felt very lost about the lineage. But after some time, I gave into life’s natural progression and realized how profound this book really is. Life is short and each life’s experience affects the next generations to come. The last bit of the book really brought it all together, and I loved how the stone travelled through history along with us.

juleswrix's review against another edition

4.75

Really interesting book!! Written in a completely different way to most other books which I have read! Throughly enjoyed 

katiescho741's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed the way this book was written. The story follows each of the descendents of Effia and Esi as they live their lives in different circumstances down the history of the US. It felt like many short stories as we meet a new mini cast of characters in each chapter and each story feels as rich as the previous one.
I learnt a lot from this book, I had no idea about black men and boys being sent down mines, or that free born black people were kidnapped and taken South to be enslaved pre-civil war. There's a lot of horror and tragedy in this book but there's hope and love and glimpses of happiness too. There's a lot about black identity in America and how it has changed down the centuries. I enjoyed the contrasts between water and fire within the stories.
I sometimes got a bit lost with who was who within the stories, as there's a lot of names and family relationships to keep straight. I also wasn't overly keen on the stone necklace thing. But, overall I enjoyed this book.
A powerful and important book but also a great work of fiction and a compelling story.