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emmacartlidge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Rape, and Car accident
Moderate: Vomit, Medical content, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, and Sexual violence
Minor: Death of parent, Transphobia, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, and Stalking
cloud_animals'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
Graphic: Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Drug abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Grief, Ableism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Trafficking
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Transphobia, Infertility, and Lesbophobia
ninireads_03'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: Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Self harm, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Child death, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Classism and Racism
Minor: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
julianxiv'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
as i am writing this review, my cheeks are still stiff with tears, my nose is still running a little. i have never been so hurt by any piece of media ever before, and i am both relieved that it's over and wish it was longer still.
i am relieved that it's over because i cannot stand to see these characters in any more pain. over the course of these 700 pages, i've come to love them as if they were my own friends in my own real life, rather than characters on pages. hanya yanagihara is so incredibly talented, has such a way with words, and she makes you love, or at least like, every character at one point or another. Spoiler except you caleb. fuck caleb. always had a bad feeling about caleb
yanagihara is also so good at making you love a character in one chapter, and hate them in the next. looking at you, jb. most of the characters are pieces of shit at one point or another, but you always know why. you are always presented with a reason they are acting a certain way.
currently, i'm sitting here wondering what to write next, because i have thoughts i just can't articulate. a little life is the most profoundly sad and beautiful thing i have ever consumed, in every possible way. the writing, the meaning, the relationships between the characters: all of it will be occupying my mind for a long time to come. the way the characters interact (jude with willem, harold and andy in particular) seems so natural, so real.
yanagihara writes in a way that makes you feel exactly the emotions the characters are feeling, you can feel their every high, low and everything in between. when jude felt something, i felt it too; when willem felt something, i felt it too; when harold felt something; you bet i felt that as well. even though none of these characters are all that relatable for me, they are written in such a way that you can understand them perfectly, even if you haven't gone through the things they have.
even though i have and will continue singing this book's praises, it's not something i would ever recommend to anyone. its not something i think should be going around platforms like tiktok, where people who might not be ready for it will come across it being recommended to them. it's not something that should be displayed on booktok tables in bookstores. the book deals with so many heavy and traumatic topics that if you are planning on picking it up, read the trigger warning list, and read it carefully. it's something you need to be ready for. you need to be in the right place emotionally in order to enjoy it.
i have feelings about this book that i can't put into words, it has hurt me and joyed me in ways i simply cannot describe. i'm not the best book critic around, but i would say this book is worthy of the title "masterpiece."
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Child death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism and Lesbophobia
Minor: Transphobia
caitlynhm'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Ableism, Child death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Vomit, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Eating disorder, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
sleepdepr1vat1on's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Ableism, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Transphobia
marion_cdt'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? It's complicated
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Confinement, Torture, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Dysphoria, Body horror, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Car accident, Mental illness, Self harm, Gaslighting, Rape, Blood, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Lesbophobia
soumya_singhal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Colonisation, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Death, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cannibalism, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Outing, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Toxic friendship
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
jessicaoc'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
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Drug use, Car accident, Body horror, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Racism, Mental illness, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Grief, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Self harm, Rape, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse