A review by lineofbooks
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

dark hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this, though not for the reason I expected to enjoy it. I picked it because I heard it dealt with neuroscience, and while I don't have a science background myself, I am interested in the intersection between literature and science. I don't feel like Transcendent Kingdom taught me anything about the human brain, but there were so many other things to enjoy that I don't care. I love how this story, despite having multiple tragedies at its heart, is emotional but never a tearjerker. It's written in a relatively dry, objective voice, which fits perfectly with its narrator being a scientist. I love how it forced me to face my own misguided preconceptions about Ghana (I somehow assumed that the family move from there to the US would be motivated by a war or some other atrocity and it wasn't). And most of all, I love its ending - which I won't spoil for you.
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