Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

38 reviews

snoopyluvr_22's review against another edition

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

5.0

A must read. A profound read. I couldn’t put this book down. It educated me. It showed me a world so different to my own. It’s a long but worth it read. I recommend reading Things Fall Apart by Achebe before reading this book as well. This author deserves so much praise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

bethw009's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Violence, and Death of parent

bee_a_friend's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit

reikista's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

thomasdj's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Death

Minor: Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

mirandahedvik's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

florenceassetto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

this book was absolutely incredible, honestly one of the most impactful reads i have ever done. i have never connected with characters like i did here and i laughed for them and CRIED for them and hoped for them and it was so powerful. a must read for everyone i would recommend 100 times over

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood and Colonisation

howardbatey's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Islamophobia, Death of parent, and Murder

fionafsw's review against another edition

challenging funny informative reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

Fact and fiction blend, past and present blend, as I read about the Nigerian civil war next to BBC headlines and couldn't stop thinking about the indiscriminate misery and human suffering Israel has unleashed in its current war in Gaza. It is impossible in March 2024 to read about starvation and not be reminded that 1 in 6 children <2 years are acutely malnourished in Gaza, with dozens dying of dehydration and malnutrition. The sheer desperation of a population brought to its knees and then beaten while on the ground translates seamlessly from the late 1960s to this week.

There's not much more I can say about this powerful novel except that Adichie manages to weave humour throughout to help the reader get through the horrors of war and to present something so alien to readers like me who have had the dumb luck of knowing nothing but peacetime through an individual, human lens rather than statistics or political or military manoeuvres. And for readers like me who had no idea about Nigeria, her fantastic writing brought to life every smell, taste, and sensory input. 

But where the book really excels, I think, is in describing tension between individuals in the most subtle way that still makes it obvious. Tension (sexual and otherwise) that you could cut with a knife, as if you were there, in the room, as the protagonist. As Richard might say, it's really quite fantastic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Grief and Classism

Minor: Pregnancy

arayo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Infertility, Racism, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Islamophobia, and Pregnancy