A review by lucyduller
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.75

I found this book to be so different than what I was expecting. It is so understated in a way that you only really see the whole picture by the end of the book. It tells stories we don't hear often, if not at all, and there is not necessarily a blatant lesson it is trying to teach you, which is really beautiful because not all books have to teach you lessons. Not every story ends with a beautiful arc and a happy ending, sometimes stories just need to be told because they are lived experiences you could never understand any other way. This book a look into the lives of a rather small circle of people, well one person, but Gyasi does so in such a thorough and intense way that it feels so intimate and personal, so detailed. And the time-changing and structure is really flawless. 

It truly is a beautifully tragic book. 
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