Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Transcendent Kingdom, by Yaa Gyasi

50 reviews

jazhandz's review against another edition

DNF at 27%. The writing is really lovely, but I found the story to be too slow and dull for me. I’m also very sensitive to medical experimentation, which I didn’t realize was going to be such a huge part of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, and Racial slurs

The main character’s neuroscience research is based on experimenting on mice, and this is described in some detail.

abrdoodle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Suicide attempt, Child death, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Vomit

Moderate: Sexism, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Classism, Sexual content, Excrement, and Racism

Minor: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Physical abuse

harvest_moon's review against another edition

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Mental illness

Moderate: Racism, Death, and Abandonment

carlwheezer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Drug use

Moderate: Racism, Death, Addiction, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

annabulkowski's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Addiction, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

kibbles15's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Despite the fact that the book reads at a slower pace, it is very well written.  The author was especially good at expressing the emotions of the story. I found myself feeling sadness, joy, anger, heartbreak, etc...right along with the main character.  The plot is heartbreaking, but it is an interesting exploration on finding the balance between a Belief in God and Science. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Mental illness

Moderate: Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Animal death, and Cursing

Book does discuss humane procedures performed on mice in a laboratory environment.

thewrongalice's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Domestic abuse, Death, Child death, Drug abuse, Abandonment, and Mental illness

chaos_fairy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

The story explores the apparently incongruous viewpoints of science and religion, both central to the development of main character, Gifty. Born to Ghanaian immigrants in Alabama, Gifty is raised in an Evangelical tradition by her mother, and as an adult, works in researching neuroscience out of Stanford University. From a family of four, to a family of two. Where the missing family members have gone is revealed in time, but from the outset it is clear that Gifty has had her share of childhood trauma. 

Gifty uses religion and science in very similar ways, though at different stages of her life. Both, for her, are refuges from a world in which she feels powerless; both, she turns to for answers to some of the most difficult questions. 

It takes time for Transcendent Kingdom to move from an interesting array of snippets from Gifty’s past and present to the engaging and thought-provoking heart, but once you get there, there’s so much to unpack. Much like Gifty herself. 

The story includes starkly honest representations of substance abuse, addiction, depression, abandonment and grief, and how the human - mind, soul, brain - strives to process and overcome these hardships. At times overtly religious or loaded with scientific jargon, it is never alienating. It is simply the world as Gifty strives to understand it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Child death, Addiction, Racism, Abandonment, Death, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Mental illness

cath_m's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Car accident, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Infidelity

sidekicksam's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words how profoundly moved I was by this book.

Firstly, Gyasi's writing is transcendent. She paints the portrait of an immigrant family, battling addiction and the exploration of faith so well, it is hard to believe that this is not a memoir. I recognized a lot of myself in Gifty, especially her struggles with abandoning her religion and having a depressed mother in the house hit home for me. 

I recommend this to anyone and everyone who wants to be deeply moved by a novel (without necessarily crying) and gorgeous writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, Death, and Abandonment