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jacobandthefrogs's review
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Rape, Racial slurs, Death, Ableism, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Car accident, Bullying, Body shaming, Sexism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Suicide attempt, Racism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Outing, Homophobia, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Dysphoria
trayana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Rape, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Suicide, Torture, Child abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Violence
jaidenjarmosco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Ableism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit
lovelymisanthrope'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"A Little Life" follows the lives of four classmates as they graduate from a small Massachusetts college and make the move to New York City. Willem is an aspiring actor, JB is a painter, Malcolm is an architect, and Jude is a litigator. All four of them face immense tragedies and challenges, but they try to remain friends through the decades that book follows.
BE WARNED: this book is graphic and has very heavy content warnings. This book is highly triggering for a plethora of mental health struggles, and it is very difficult to read. Along with meatal health issues, this book explores every type of trauma you can imagine. If you do want to pick this up, read with care.
I thought I knew what heartbreak was, until I read this book. Every time you think the characters are starting to progress forward and you will finally be able to see them be happy, something tragic happens and their lives are torn apart. This story specifically centralizes around Jude, who you slowly realize has been through more trauma in his life alone than any one person should go through. Every time I learned more about Jude I wanted to hug him, but I was also infuriated and just wanted him to open up and see that his past did not ruin him, and the people in his adult life (with one or two exceptions) love him unconditionally. Jude's complexity made him a beautiful point of view to read from. He is so troubled, but he is trying so hard to be "normal". I loved him and hated him, and I think that fact alone indicates exemplary writing.
I understand why some people do not like this book, or think it was written in poor taste. I do think this is a type of book that is not right for most people because of how graphic it gets. But for those who have dealt with similar content matter, I think this book hits you in your soul, and it makes you feel connected to humanity in a way that only sharing pain can allow.
This book is devastating, and I do not recommend it to just anyone. I am glad I read it, and this is definitely something I will be thinking about for a long time. If Hanya Yanagihara's other books are anything like this, I will need quite a while before I can pick something new up.
Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Gore, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Racism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical trauma, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
heyvito's review against another edition
2.25
The characters are defined mostly by their trauma and are pretty one-dimensional. The writing is beautiful, but not beautiful enough to overlook the flaws.
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Self harm
viireads'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Drug use, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Misogyny, Medical content, Dysphoria, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Vomit, Transphobia, Abandonment, Ableism, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Suicide attempt
rachelmarie05'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: Addiction, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
golden_like_dior'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: Abandonment, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Kidnapping, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Vomit, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Addiction, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Outing, Physical abuse, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Body shaming, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Rape, and Suicide
sinjinsladle'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: Violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Ableism, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Cursing, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Misogyny, Cancer, Vomit, and Racism
breadwitchery'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, Fatphobia, Vomit, Infidelity, Biphobia, Cancer, Child death, Dementia, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Misogyny