Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

12 reviews

flowchelle's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense slow-paced

4.0

Wow, this book was a lot more than I realized it would be! I fully understand the importance of the grandparents story and it gave the parents much more depth but it was so much to process with how soul crushing each generations story was. However, that obviously made Safiya’s triumphs even more impressive and mold breaking. This was such a multifaceted and beautifully told story that got my emotions entirely entwined! I was shocked by her

ability to forgive her father in the end

and

brought to tears by the description of the generations of women healed on the beach

! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

apthompson's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

_aurora_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Oh wow. Speechless. Ending was not what I expected. So much intergenerational anguish and fighting for survival. And I loved all the poetry too. Hoping to read more of her works after having finished this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

adawada's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Drug use

caitlinxreads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment

Minor: Domestic abuse

creativerunnings's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Cancer

karenleagermain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Wow. I finished the audio book a few days ago and Safiya Sinclair's memoir will not leave my mind. Sinclair shares her life growing up in a Rastafari family in Jamaica. This rigid religion puts her father as the ultimate authority in their household, where he demands total obedience from his wife and children. Sinclair is raised in a very conservative and isolated environment. She is brilliant in school, but her religion, shown outwardly by her dreadlocks, signals her as an outcast in Jamaica, where many are Christian. 

Sinclair desires to be a writer and shows a great deal of talent, but her family's poverty and her father's values threaten to keep her from achieving her dream. As she grows older, Sinclair realizes that both her goals and the life that she wants to pursue are in contrast to the way she was raised. 

Sinclair's memoir has similar themes to Tara Westover's Educated. Both memoirs are brilliant and eye-opening.

Many times while listening, I paused and resisted to sections of Sinclair's writing. She is such a talented writer. Her prose is gorgeous and she has unique phrasing. Her story is powerful, but made more so by her writing talents. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Classism

Moderate: Abandonment and Sexual harassment

The story is filled with domestic violence, including both physical and verbal abuse. Sinclair has a mentor ( older male, when she is a teen) who makes suggestive comments to her and touches her inappropriately.

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

I was vaguely aware of what being meant but only in the narrow lens of Bob Marley and other artists that had mentioned this but honestly - the depth of which Ms. Sinclair discussed her upbringing spoke volumes. The seclusion lead by her father truly impacted the author and her siblings but none of them allowed this to set them back. They knew they had to leave in order to truly be their authentic selves. I’m proud of Ms. Sinclair for writing her story and sharing her voice. While the dysfunction and abuse was familiar to me (having read other non fiction that discussed this as well as my own personal dealings) this may trigger those who have not growing up in a physical and emotional abusive household. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Abortion