readingwithkt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Trafficking, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Racism, Abandonment, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Slavery
crimelessvictim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Medical trauma, Rape, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Murder, Infidelity, Drug use, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Infertility, Grief, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, and Confinement
kkocik's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Torture, Alcoholism, Body horror, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Slavery, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Abandonment, Self harm, and Sexual assault
heyitsashleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Slavery, Death of parent, Child death, Addiction, Child abuse, Colonisation, Rape, and Sexual violence
stvnh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
Graphic: Slavery, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Sexual assault, War, Child abuse, Violence, Racism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Torture, Excrement, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Infertility, Ableism, Gun violence, Death of parent, Blood, Grief, Addiction, Drug abuse, Death, Child death, Vomit, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Bullying, Mental illness, Abandonment, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, and Racial slurs
Minor: Car accident, Police brutality, and Hate crime
nannahnannah's review against another edition
4.0
I've never read anything like this. It covers three hundred years, beginning in Ghana, and splitting to become an American story as well. Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, are Maame's daughters who live in two different villages in Ghana. And that's where their stories diverge. Esi is sold as a slave and shipped to America, while Effia stays in Ghana.
Esi's children are born into slavery in America, and her line continues through the Civil War, jazz clubs, dope houses, coal mines, etc., right up to contemporary America. And Effia's ancestors in Ghana deal with wars between the Fante and Asante nations--not to mention all the while struggling with British colonization.
I'm not going to lie, this book was ... heavy. Hard to read during several parts (maybe most of the book?), but it was ultimately worth it. Will I read it again? Maybe not, but I don't regret reading it.
Every character is uniquely interesting, flawed, real, and compelling. Even when I disliked someone, I still wanted to read more about their story. Yaa Gyasi is an incredible character writer. Each character is also somehow connected to every person that came before them, somehow haunted, maybe. One line of the ancestry with fire, one line with water.
Spoiler
And at the end, they meet together in the Most satisfying way!This is the shortest review ever, and I told you maybe nothing of my actual opinions on it, but that's okay. It took me a couple days to even write this much. It wasn't even the "heaviest" of books, but I can't really gather my thoughts here. The writing is wonderful, and the whole book is constructed in a beautiful, impactful way. I guess that's enough.
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, and Domestic abuse
also: ableist slursrmperash'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Infidelity, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Trafficking, War, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, and Suicide
cvaught'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? No
4.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Racism, Colonisation, and Death
kenzim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Rape, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racial slurs, Addiction, Racism, Death, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
jojo_'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Physical abuse, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, War, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Police brutality, and Pregnancy