Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

377 reviews

cecifeli's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

A very tragic layered story. It just seemed like a lot. At times, I would roll my eyes bc of what kept happening. Idk how to feel abt it. Reading it sucked, it felt like I was witnessing a car crash (no pun intended lol). It was too painful and visceral. You can tell it’s great writing and character development, must as a practical person, it just seemed like highly stylized trauma and melodramatic suffering. 
Don’t get me wrong (i’m not heartless), sometimes it was tender and sweet. It was just a lot to handle and it seemed like a very unrealistic, deranged situation. (I know it’s fiction, and I know it’s purpose is not to reflect real life. But the trauma upon trauma upon trauma, made me detached from the story, and it felt at times I was reading a telenovela.) 
Amazing writing and pacing. A real page turner even though sometimes you were so heartbroken that the last you’d wanna do is find out what happens next. Fully fledged characters and a slow steady pace. Yanagihara is  a very talented writer. I read it in 3 days. 
I didn’t like it. I didn’t cry (not that that matters). Not for the faint hearted though. Made me reflect. Sometimes I think it’s decent, sometimes I thinks it’s torture porn (this is up for the readers interpretation). Idk if I’ll read more from her. 

PS By unrealistic i mean this:
Idk how to feel abt Jude’s entourage, I think they should’ve pushed harder into therapy and hospitals and help in general. This is my bone to pick w the author. But hell, what do I know?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Abortion

18ksmith's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Violence, Mental illness, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Dementia, Ableism, and Drug abuse

Minor: Homophobia

becphe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

Devastating and so good.  The characters rich and complicated. The relationships felt genuine.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Self harm, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Torture, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Mental illness, Body horror, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Confinement, Vomit, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Violence, Outing, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

mykaz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Cursing, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Grief

dragonsandfoxes's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Bullying, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Torture, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Addiction, Grief, Cancer, Gore, Sexual harassment, and Trafficking

juliarenae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

good and heart wrenching but also torture porn. made me feel queasy several times

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Suicide, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Addiction, Self harm, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Car accident, Blood, Physical abuse, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Gore, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, and Medical trauma

meganshil13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Everyone either loves or hates this book. I first purchased it due to its acclaim and then decided to take it off my tbr due to its controversies as someone who tends to read challenging/darker stories. It is a heavy read with trauma and triggers throughout with characters that you form a complicated relationship with. This book is on many people’s “sad/made me bawl” lists and I did not get to that point (I was mostly upset/disturbed/unsettled  during Jude’s most traumatic points) UNTIL the last 5 pages. That’s when the tears came. This book is a slow burn, and builds slowly and doesn’t end happily but closes out in a poetic way. Hanya Yanagihara deserves the acclaim she was given for her craftsmanship of this story despite the sometimes gratuitous trauma of the main character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Suicide, Blood, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Addiction, Cursing, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Ableism, and Car accident

delisouseyelids's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

WHY IS IT SO SAD

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Car accident, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexism, Racism, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Self harm, Rape, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Classism, Homophobia, Gore, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Ableism, Death of parent, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Addiction, Bullying, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Medical content

angielivesandbreathes's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Death, Kidnapping, Cursing, Hate crime, Vomit, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Child death, Outing, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Ableism

theresa_timber's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

Never has a book so utterly and completely shattered my heart. I simultaneously want to recommend this book to everyone capable of handling it, while also burying it deep inside a safe cushioned capsule where nothing bad will happen to the characters ever again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Bullying, Grief, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Stalking, Car accident, Self harm, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Vomit, Kidnapping, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Death, and Sexual violence