Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

481 reviews

kait51db's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

i actually hate this book. it's well written (not for everyone, but the writing style is perfect for me), i adore the characters, yet it is torture porn i will not recommend to anyone without stacks and stacks of warnings. i do not believe it is a pain worth experiencing because you have to experience this story. that being said—it is an experience. the reason it is not five stars is because there are many scenes that simply did not need to exist in the detail they existed in to tell the story, and i believe they are they for shock value. it was unnecessary. the author is clearly capable of creating a fleshed out, beautiful world with characters you will love and tell a story that can mean so much to so many, and the reliance on the details of traumatic, horrible events is so irrelevant. it is the book's singular flaw.

believe it or not, i have compliments! like i said, the writing style is my personal favorite—a little tedious, a little pretentious, but so stream-of-thought and beautiful that it's worth sitting with the long sentences and paragraphs. i loved the characters dearly. the heart-wrenching experience of the day-to-day struggle of managing mental illness and trauma that can never truly be healed was depicted brutally but honestly. it is not something i regret reading, or something i will say no one should read, but it is something worth ruminating on if reading it is worth it. talk to people who have read it, find the warnings (and not just a "trigger warning for everything" because that is useless and the specifics matter!), and really assess if the emotional destress if something you can manage for the benefit of loving a book. this is a book i learned from, but not a book required to learn. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Child death, Sexual assault, Cursing, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Car accident, and Drug abuse

Minor: Death of parent

incredibly brutal depictions of assault, sexual and physical.

troye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Grief, Child death, and Death

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

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

mixty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

4.75

A raw and detailed written story that follows the lives, love and tragedies of four collage friends. This was truly a unique and beautiful novel that was so real, so mundane, so touching that I felt connected to the characters in ways I wasn’t expecting. It did take me a little bit to really get into it, and it is very fluffy and almost written like poetry in novel form so it’s hard to follow at points. But I think it’s a beautiful story about life and everything that comes with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Medical content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Body horror, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Mental illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Trafficking, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

suebug'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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Rape, Violence, Eating disorder, Medical content, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Kidnapping, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Homophobia and Sexism

turningpagesmm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

Updated review: The last time you will see this book on my feed. 

I read A little Alice with Molly from @twoliterateladies as a buddy read (hence the post it’s). When we finished I wrote a review which will be very different from this one, after some reflection and research, in re-doing it. 

First of all, thank goodness for Molly, I don’t think either of us realise how lucky we were to be reading this with someone else. 

I didn’t like this book, in fact I hated it and I don’t say that lightly. The few redeeming qualities weren’t nearly enough to bring it around. If I knew the utter devastation I would feel after reading each part, I wouldn’t have picked it up. 

A few graphic scenes in this book made me physically sick and I think it went way too far. After some research into the author I can see that I am not the only one who feels that Yanagihara went too far when it came to the treatment of her gay characters, it was almost torturous. 

I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t recommend this book. I think my brain has started blocking it out and has decided that I won’t be retaining any of this book as I am already forgetting it. 

Jude, Willem and Harold- you have my heart but I’m sorry, you weren’t enough to redeem this book for me. 

I saw this book everywhere so I can’t help but think that I might be in the minority here but my last review, is just wrong now. 













What can I say about this book? 

This won’t be a long reviews because I am emotionally drained but I wanted to write it while it was still fresh. 

The way this book is written is honestly phenomenal, the love I had for these characters was so real, I laughed, I cried and hurt with them. 

Please before reading be aware of your triggers, this has been on my TBR for years but I wasn’t brave enough to start it, luckily Molly @twoliterateladies felt the same so we started a buddy read. Though I raced ahead at one point because I needed it to be over. I couldn’t focus on any other book, I had a pit of anticipation and dread it my stomach and I just needed it be over. I 100% recommended reading at the same time as a friend because by the end I was very emotionally unstable. 

My history of grief from losing my dad a couple of years ago played a huge part in my reaction to A Little Life so I would recommend reading triggers warning and tread carefully because crying to the point of having a panic attack and throwing up is not it (learn from my mistake). 

Overall, I’m glad I read it and  I’m glad I didn’t miss out on these stories. Multiple times I had to remind myself that it was not real, it is a work of fiction and a work of art at that. 

Possible spoiler below!!!!! 

Bad news- this book is devastating. 

Good news- I am content with the ending and after I actually stopped reading the book I was able to calm down and stop thinking about it. 

I know there have been talks of a TV series/movie and there is a stage show but I can never revisit this book again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

kolbiet's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Rape, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Violence, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Child death, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Eating disorder

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

avenevs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

This book is immensely painful. The author wrote this story beautifully and it was a marvelous read, fun at times even. I cried on too many pages to count or admit to but I couldn’t help but feel attached to each character or disgusted by others. Everything is so in depth and no detail is unappreciated. I loved this book, and I absolutely despise this book. The trauma this book caused and also resurfaced is something I was absolutely not ready for. But at the same time I was able to fret through the book the same way I got through my own traumas in life. I cannot believe I was ever excited to read this book but I am thankful to have read it. Good luck to anyone who dares to break this novels spine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Drug use, Racism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicide, Child death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Car accident, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence