Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

17 reviews

mysterymom46's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Excrement, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Drug use, Addiction, Pregnancy, Murder, Mental illness, Suicide, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Vomit, and Xenophobia

cardlikecredit's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Slavery, War, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Rape, and Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Classism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? No

5.0

I don't have words for how incredible Homegoing is. The blurb cannot do justice to the journey it takes you on. Two Ghanaian half-sisters with divergent paths (one as a wife to a white colonizer and slaver, the other captured and sold into slavery) is only the beginning. This book follows Effia and Esi's lineage for seven generations, one line primarily in Ghana and one line primarily in the United States. It is a sizzering, raw, unflinchingly honest depiction of the experience and the legacy of the slave trade, in all its awful minutia; the creation and the evolution of the systems that still oppress black people. Truly, I've never seen a clearer depiction of generational trauma. It's incredible. That's all I can say. Cannot recommend enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Vomit, and War

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Suicide, Mental illness, and Ableism

Minor: Car accident and Medical content

scifi_rat's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Slavery, Confinement, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Classism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Vomit, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Kidnapping, Blood, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

Minor: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Torture, Homophobia, Rape, Abandonment, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content

mx_sunshine's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Addiction, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, War, Abandonment, Bullying, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Torture, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Car accident and Suicide

marissasa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is heartbreaking, harrowing, devastating, and deeply moving. The story stems from one woman name Maame who gave birth to two daughters in different villages, each half-sister unknowing of the other's existence. Each chapter alternates between the next generation of both branches of the family, and tells different but parallel stories of the lives each child lives. It's a story of the lasting effects of colonization, war, and slavery on Ghanian people both in the homeland and in United States. As the book spans 8 generations, it ties major historical events to the appropriate character's narratives for that time period. There are so many difficult and upsetting situations that family members on both sides face, and they become deeply flawed but complex characters because of their experiences and the experiences of their parents that have been passed down both verbally and metaphysically. Generational trauma is a central theme throughout the book and I could feel my heart ache each time a character went through something or had a fear that could be tied back to experiences in their parent's or ancestor's chapter just a few pages before. The ending brings everything full circle with the recurring symbols of water, fire, and the black stone passed down from Maame herself, and it left me with a bittersweet feeling knowing both the indescribable pain and incredible resilience of each ancestor that lead to the two latest generations being able to come together and feel connected to the land where it all started.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, Racism, Vomit, War, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Violence, and Kidnapping

valwwy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

i had been stuck on the first couple chapters for months, but finally decided to pick it back up again because of the reviews i heard… and once i understood the structure of the book and its scope, i absolutely tore through the rest of it in 2 days. absolutely captivating stories told simply but beautifully and unreservedly, and the final chapter gave me chills… an absolute must-read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Minor: Excrement, Racism, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

kallan's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual content, Racism, and Death

Minor: War

jojo_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

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

fireinherveinzz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

5.0

I lovvee multi generational stories this was one was very heavy and needed the space to think about and read through well not binge read like usual.
I wish the end hadn’t ended so abruptly would’ve loved to have seen both generations realize their connection to each other .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Trafficking, War, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Colonisation, Death, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Death of parent, and Abandonment