Scan barcode
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
zestymelon'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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
kimdalia'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: Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Drug use
spencer112358'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, Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
jikooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Confinement, and Ableism
Minor: Death, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship
demo'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
2.0
"He wishes he too could forget, that he too could choose never to consider Caleb again. Always, he wonders why and how he has let four months – four months increasingly distant from him – so affect him, so alter his life. But then, he might as well ask – as he often does – why he has let the first 15 years of his life so dictate the past 28."
The answer, of course, is that it’s Yanagihara’s design. That’s why it’s good to know that Jude is entirely her concoction, not a figure based on testimony by survivors of child rape, clinical case studies or anything empirical. I found Jude an infuriating object of attention, but resisted blaming the victim. I blame the author.
—"Sessions with a Poker" by Christian Lorentzen
Graphic: Pedophilia, Self harm, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Physical abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
nadiana'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
2.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
cameeroo'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
I wanna say that it might be coincidence that I've suffered mental breakdowns and existential crises during the four months I've been reading this book, but it didn't help that I find the main character very relateable, even though I've never experienced most things he's been through. I guess that's because the author did a great job in realistically writing how a person's mind would run, so it's easy to empathize with a character, because at least once in your life, you've thought or felt that way too.
Honestly, my first impression with the book was the paragraphs are extremely lengthy and sometimes too dragging for me to handle, and I was overwhelmed by the amount of characters that was thrown into every scene, that I had to list down their names so I could remember who's who. But later on, I understood that the author just wants to set the mood of a place or event, or to personally introduce you a character, whom you'd probably be attached to as you progress.
Like all other forms of media that I consume, I don't think that every book, especially fiction, should have a moral lesson, because sometimes it's enough for a book to just tell a story. But since this book hits so close to home for me, I've gotten a lot of things from it aside from being entertained(? I seriously don't know the best word to describe "I had a terrible time, in a good way") by the story it told. And personally the most important "lesson" I've learned might be: no matter how terrible life could get, it will always get better. Or maybe it already is better, but we're just too focused with how much we've been scarred by the bad things, we forget to notice that good things also exist in our lives. We've heard this been said a million times, and we've probably told someone this before to comfort them. But as cliche as it sounds, it is true. To quote a line from the book, "All the most terrifying Ifs involve people. All the good ones do as well." And for us to realize that, we have to ask help from other people when we need it, because even if you think otherwise, there will always be someone who is willing to offer you a helping hand. You are not alone. No one is truly alone.
So even if this book had given me a few nightmares (legit, I'm not speaking metaphorically right now), I'm somewhat thankful because it's one of the things that's currently helping me get over my self hatred, doubt and distrust towards people around me, and other bad coping mechanisms. Though I'm rating this with a perfect score, it's hard to recommend it to people, especially if you're going through something at the moment (and most especially if you are clinically depressed and/or have suicidal tendencies, because there are A LOT of triggering scenes and topics in it). Probably read it alongside a book with a lighter topic, or maybe it is best to read this for months instead of one sitting or something, because it's really draining to read.
Read with caution, that's all.
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Grief, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Death, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Confinement, and Cursing
Moderate: Ableism, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Stalking, Medical content, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Child death
serenspace'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: Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Ableism, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship