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mccullah'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Vomit, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical content, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide, Body horror, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Addiction, Torture, and Violence
froggie022'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? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Bullying, Car accident, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Torture, Chronic illness, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual violence, Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Suicide, Death of parent, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
peachy_gene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I don't think this book hit me the way it seems to hit for people that don't listen to trauma for 40 hours a week [I'm a trauma therapist].There was nothing shocking about this book, however, the details are unimaginably difficult to read. I don't find Yanagihara's writing really all that beautiful- but this story is also really really ugly so I feel like that's on purpose? A devastating demonstration of love, and a reminder that sometimes love is not enough to make people choose to stay.
This book [imo] asks readers to have hard conversations with loved ones and reminds us to make sure our loved ones know the role they play in our lives- it shines light on the fact that Even if they know, they may not be able to be that forever. Sometimes we can't save people, especially from themselves, and especially from what the world has done to them. This book requires empathy and emotional shieldng to get through.
I see a lot of people saying Jude was enabled and frustrating and I agree. But I do think Yanagihara's depiction of what it's like to never be able to see yourself through the eyes of those who love you is extremely well done . The story depicts how formative our earliest years are in relation to how we trust, and form connection and this that translates into adult life. This novel is very much trauma a centered, and looks very deeply at the way trauma shapes our worldview, self perception and life outlook especially when we are leg to believe we are non-human undeserving of the healing it takes to seek trust and the company is others, to crave it desperately and have no idea what to do with that once we have obtained it.
I didn't have any visceral reaction this except for the imagery which was rare. The depictions of abuse, are Even written in a very flat way. The only time I felt anything was when the pov was from Harold, but again- this feels intentional given the subject matter. I think we are perhaps meant to be emotionally disconnected, as Jude has had to be.
I certainly didn't feel that this is the great gay novel by any means. But it is perhaps, an excellent case study for trauma's influence of the human existence if left untreated for a lifetime. It also lends excellent focus to the challenges when life is constant body horror, Jude's inability to connect with his even when he absolutely needed to, his constant act of rebellion towards the vessel he inhabits as punishment for sins he never committed; the impact of rage that is held within and never expressed.This commentary is something that is deeply felt, but extra so when a reader has a very specific set of traumas.
It looks at codependency, [lack of] autonomy, illness, what it means to exist in a body when you couldn't consent to being born, and asks what community is actually responsible for when a person has to be convinced that life really can be with living. This is not a hopeful story. It's sad and I can't ever recommend it to anyone. It never gets better. It has layers that I kept trying to find hope in, with no success. It's nothing but suffering, even happiness glimmers are temporary. I found it truly human at times, while deeply unbelievable at others, but mostly, I found it relatable and for that reason I will be talking about it with my therapist tomorrow.
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Vomit, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gore, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Trafficking, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Ableism
alinute'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Mental illness, Bullying, Violence, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Gaslighting, Cursing, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Torture, Xenophobia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Racism, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Car accident, Child abuse, Body shaming, Body horror, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
sapphicsav'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Confinement, Death, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Chronic illness, and Drug abuse
caitlin_d89'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Dysphoria, Blood, Ableism, Medical content, Gaslighting, Confinement, Body shaming, Abandonment, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Self harm, Torture, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Trafficking, Suicide, Mental illness, Gore, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Body horror, Incest, and Child abuse
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Gaslighting, Addiction, Bullying, Gore, Biphobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Incest, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Kidnapping
mapleleaf_rag'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Blood, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Suicide, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, Rape, Car accident, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Grief, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, and Cursing
delilah_reads23's review against another edition
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cursing, Death, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
fpcat99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Car accident, Body shaming, Grief, Pedophilia, Medical content, Bullying, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Vomit, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Rape, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexual content, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Torture, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence
ashlynregan'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Cursing, Drug use, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Torture, Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Car accident, Addiction, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Rape, Infidelity, Abandonment, Gore, Medical content, Self harm, and Suicide