Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

538 reviews

corrina_milito's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

4.5

Perhaps the most deeply tragic book I’ve ever read, A Little Life is a beautifully written heartbreaker. The abuse and violence relentlessly endured by the protagonist, Jude, is so unimaginable that at moments it seems egregious, salacious even, and almost distracting. The beauty and perseverance of deep and meaningful friendship, however, kept  me coming back for more. The depth and dimension of Yanagihara’s characters is profound but I did find myself asking she wrote this book.  I love that she is unapologetic about her novels but I still don’t have an answer to my question. The story would’ve been just as moving with only half the atrocities. I will definitely read more of her work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Medical content, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Sexual content, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Torture, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Eating disorder, Addiction, Ableism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Body shaming

Minor: Drug abuse, Bullying, Stalking, Drug use, Classism, Infidelity, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Panic attacks/disorders

erikajosephison's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This book is not for everyone - very important to check all trigger/content warnings before reading. I know the book is controversial (and for good reason) but I really loved the writing and the character profiles that the author created in such a way they felt like real people, like friends I actually knew. I also loved how Time was conveyed throughout the novel as well - without specific dates or years but through occasions and references to those in flashbacks. It is a difficult book, with a lot of confronting topics (even beyond the expected) but worthwhile. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Rape, and Trafficking

Moderate: Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Vomit, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Suicide

Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Cursing, Excrement, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, and Homophobia

honipoems'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

4.75

I’m still traumatized but as I’m still obsessed it has to be a very high star ratings. it needs all the trigger warning you can think about but I’m still thinking about it. I don’t know if I want to leave this book behind me to never see it again or if I want to read it again one day.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Self harm, Rape, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Pedophilia

catarina187's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

This story is absolutely devastating. Even though I didn't know what awaited me before reading, I knew that this wasn't going to be a book like any other. And it definitely wasn't. This was the first and only book that made me cry, that made me suffer absurdly with the characters and that made me really feel the pain and confusion that was the life of each of them.

This story tells us, among other things, about abuse, violence and mistreatment, but also about someone who managed to overcome his weaknesses and insecurities, with a lot of support from those closest to him. This book touches on very delicate and sensitive topics and is not for everyone. However, I can say that this was one of the best books I've read, not only because of the raw and delicate way in which it was written, but because of each of the characters that appear in this book, each one being more imperfect than the other, but nevertheless, showing all your emotions, in all their splendor. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book to anyone, but I can say that this book completely changed the way I read and interpret the stories I read and changed my way of thinking a little.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Cancer, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Suicide, Child abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Torture

Moderate: Gaslighting, Cancer, Car accident, Grief, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, and Infidelity

sopapilla83's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a book that will stay with me forever.  It was beautiful and poetic, and yet tragic and soul shattering.  

The author is remarkable in her story telling; the way she's able to not only paint a picture as if you're truly taking this journey with the characters, but also makes you feel every thing they're feeling is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a book. I honestly don't know that I've ever read a more eloquent author.  

This story is heartbreaking, but one that everyone should read.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Terminal illness

kiymariah's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I will not remember this as a good book at all. #Alittlelife  6/10 at best. Repetitive, cartoonish trauma porn , main characters turned to caricatures to fill plot holes and move the story along to a predictable end. I think I might actually hate this book despite a strong start . JB and Malcom had such potential. But thus is the fate of black characters written by non-black or single minded authors. It's almost cartoonishly wicked how jb becomes the black never do well of the group and Malcolm the half black lackey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Addiction, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Abandonment, Grief, Car accident, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

alaskanfae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Car accident, Bullying, Alcoholism, Addiction, Body horror, Sexual violence, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Torture, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Pedophilia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Death, Body shaming, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Chronic illness

bpina92's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.75

Don't read this book, unless you want to be incredibly sad and at times a bit bored. There are also so many triggering events that if you are not in the right headspace, then you'll really hate this book. Honestly, it could have been way way shorter if she had condensed some chapters or even left out some of the descriptions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Confinement, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Body horror, Bullying, Kidnapping, Rape, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Drug use, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Torture, Eating disorder, Suicide, Violence, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, and Dysphoria

cnorman4405's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.75

Make sure your therapist is available 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Self harm, Vomit, Mental illness, Blood, Dysphoria, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking, and traumatic

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