Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

1871 reviews

blakeisik's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

3.5

Very difficult to pinpoint how i feel about this book. Beautifully written, but full of trauma-porn.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Gore, Homophobia, Rape, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content

ellen1196's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Drug abuse, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Body shaming, Child abuse, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Rape

a_tanya's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

2.5

Unnecessarily tragic, almost comical.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Car accident, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

floord1's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

Too much. Not enjoyable. Why would you read this? Why would you write this?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Medical content, Blood, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, and Pedophilia

lilymaexx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

Absolutely beautiful book, so moving and gripping. Some trigger warnings required, very graphic book in a lot of ways. Such a devasting story line but so well written. I think about this book a lot

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Self harm, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Sexual assault

whatchapterareyouon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Wow. What a powerful book! Amazing writing which creates very vivid imagery. I will not be forgetting these characters for a while.

I’m in two minds as to whether or not I think it’s on the verge of ‘trauma porn.’  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

arthurwjones's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Cursing, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Blood, Medical trauma, and Vomit

kaitrc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

In the end, the story was really good. However, I don’t know if it was worth the trauma I endured reading it. The writing felt scattered, especially because it jumps around in time way too frequently. It took me longer to finish this book than any other book I’ve read: partly because it’s SOOO slow in the first half and partly because I had to take breaks to get through the especially traumatic parts. I would only recommend if you’re in the mood to sob for hours or if nothing can trigger you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Self harm, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pedophilia, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Ableism

catherinerowland's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Car accident, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Ableism, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pedophilia, Suicide, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

nadja_reads_stuff's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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

How do I start with this book...

I hated and loved it at the same time. I often had to stop because I couldn't take it anymore, I cried like a baby and felt so many emotions I had the feeling of getting sick. 
But nevertheless this book was amazing and it just shows so many things that are wrong in this world and that sometimes, even if you get better and you have so many people around you that (try to) make your life wonderful, some things just cannot be forgotten or overlooked. Your past haunts you and A Little Life describes that feeling so well it is almost scary. 
For everyone wanting to read this book: Please check the trigger warnings beforehand, especially if you experienced traumatic situations in your past, as this book is full of them. 
I came to love Jude, Willem and especially Harold so much, I felt everything for them and could very much share their grief and emotions over the course of the book.

A favourite of mine that I will probably never read again because as soon as I would see Jude and Willem moving into their poor apartment again I would cry so much again, that I would not be able to read anything anymore.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Trafficking, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, and Death