travisppe'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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Drug use, Excrement, Hate crime, Infertility, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Trafficking, Addiction, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, War, Vomit, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
shanapike's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Excrement, Drug abuse, Classism, War, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Infertility, Confinement, Blood, Colonisation, and Addiction
lyzz'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Violence, Racism, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Excrement, Murder, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Racial slurs, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Sexual violence and Rape
The book travels from the 1600s to modern day through the perspective of two black families. It shows the horror of slavery, colonialism and racism.catwhisperer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Excrement, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Trafficking, Vomit, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
bashsbooks'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
5.0
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
c_serpent'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
Total score: 5/5 stars
Graphic: Addiction, Colonisation, Classism, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Slavery, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Confinement, War, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Pregnancy, and Trafficking
sakisreads'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? No
3.5
The content warnings are below.
My friend recommended this to me, and she has some great finds so I was excited for this one.
I read the reviews earlier on though, and someone wrote that it was challenging to invest in the stories because they would get very interesting, and then move onto the next POV very quickly, and I completely agree 🥺
The stories were gorgeous and heartbreaking but I never felt like I got to know any of the characters only because we were going too quickly.
It’s a very luxurious perspective that I have though, I am aware of this 😳
All in all, I thought this book was beautiful and I really especially enjoyed Marjorie’s story at the end 🥹 I loved Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom more so am glad to have tried her first novel ✨
Graphic: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Slavery, Torture, Racism, and Rape
ratatouilllie'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? It's complicated
5.0
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
- 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
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
thereadhersrecap'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? It's complicated
5.0
I can't believe this book was her debut novel! The writing was spectacular. She has a way of transporting you out of your body and into the characters mind. The characterization was the best and meat of the book and Gyasi nailed it.
The novel follows two ancestry lines of Ghanian children as the embark on separate but destined journeys. Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, born to different villages in the 18th century lead two very different lives. One is married off to an Englishman and lives in the castle on the shore, the other is imprisoned beneath her and sold into the slave trade where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. We see each character navigate historical events such as The Civil War, The Great Migration, Jim Crow, Harlem and heroin.
The books is told through a series of chapters dedicated to on individual of the ancestry. Although each chapter looks at a new character's life, Gyasi still presents a complete and cohesive story.
Weakness is treating someone as though they belong to you. Strength is knowing that everyone belongs to themselves."
The portrait of slavery is one I will never understand, but with books like these it truly helps to paint a picture of the atrocities African's withstood. It's frustrates me that this part of American history is just a blurb in the history books. Gyasi shows the impact slavery plays on everyone spanning generations, robbing families of spouses, killing, and structuring the world at an unfair advantage.
“We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history, you must always ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too. From there, you begin to get a clearer, yet still imperfect, picture.”
This book will stay with me forever.
CW: abandonment, addiction, death, classism, colonization, confinement, drug abuse, forced institutionalization, hate crime, physical abuse, police brutality, racism, religious bigotry, violence, torture, sexual assault
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Torture