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kseibold's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Outing, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Bullying, Medical trauma, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Child abuse, Vomit, Biphobia, Blood, Sexual assault, Gore, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Confinement, Violence, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Homophobia, Grief, Kidnapping, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death, Gaslighting, and Eating disorder
keepcalm'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
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Addiction, Self harm, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Vomit, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Violence, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
emmarauchtcamel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Biphobia, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Body horror, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Homophobia
parkerjm'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: Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Blood, Kidnapping, Rape, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Infertility, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Ableism, Blood, Addiction, and Alcohol
izzycarpenito's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
first, the good. i really enjoyed the first half of the book. i read it all in two hours. i enjoyed the characters enough, but i was most interested in the main character. he quickly became insufferable to me as literally nothing about him changes over the course of the book.
the bad then, the book is trauma porn, and that's not necessarily bad, but i didn't want to just read 800 pages of characters suffering. another thing that bothered me is that pretty much all the characters are static. the only one who went thru actual personality changes was JB.
in the end, what's the message? i didnt pick up on an intended one, though it became clear to me what the author thinks. sometimes if youre disabled or traumatized or mentally ill youre better off killing yourself and i cant get behind that.
Graphic: Grief, Sexual violence, Addiction, Child death, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, Ableism, Eating disorder, Gore, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit
emtaydez'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
PLEASE check trigger warnings before reading. It is a HEAVY and DIFFICULT read.
Minor: Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Car accident, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
peachy_gene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I don't think this book hit me the way it seems to hit for people that don't listen to trauma for 40 hours a week [I'm a trauma therapist].There was nothing shocking about this book, however, the details are unimaginably difficult to read. I don't find Yanagihara's writing really all that beautiful- but this story is also really really ugly so I feel like that's on purpose? A devastating demonstration of love, and a reminder that sometimes love is not enough to make people choose to stay.
This book [imo] asks readers to have hard conversations with loved ones and reminds us to make sure our loved ones know the role they play in our lives- it shines light on the fact that Even if they know, they may not be able to be that forever. Sometimes we can't save people, especially from themselves, and especially from what the world has done to them. This book requires empathy and emotional shieldng to get through.
I see a lot of people saying Jude was enabled and frustrating and I agree. But I do think Yanagihara's depiction of what it's like to never be able to see yourself through the eyes of those who love you is extremely well done . The story depicts how formative our earliest years are in relation to how we trust, and form connection and this that translates into adult life. This novel is very much trauma a centered, and looks very deeply at the way trauma shapes our worldview, self perception and life outlook especially when we are leg to believe we are non-human undeserving of the healing it takes to seek trust and the company is others, to crave it desperately and have no idea what to do with that once we have obtained it.
I didn't have any visceral reaction this except for the imagery which was rare. The depictions of abuse, are Even written in a very flat way. The only time I felt anything was when the pov was from Harold, but again- this feels intentional given the subject matter. I think we are perhaps meant to be emotionally disconnected, as Jude has had to be.
I certainly didn't feel that this is the great gay novel by any means. But it is perhaps, an excellent case study for trauma's influence of the human existence if left untreated for a lifetime. It also lends excellent focus to the challenges when life is constant body horror, Jude's inability to connect with his even when he absolutely needed to, his constant act of rebellion towards the vessel he inhabits as punishment for sins he never committed; the impact of rage that is held within and never expressed.This commentary is something that is deeply felt, but extra so when a reader has a very specific set of traumas.
It looks at codependency, [lack of] autonomy, illness, what it means to exist in a body when you couldn't consent to being born, and asks what community is actually responsible for when a person has to be convinced that life really can be with living. This is not a hopeful story. It's sad and I can't ever recommend it to anyone. It never gets better. It has layers that I kept trying to find hope in, with no success. It's nothing but suffering, even happiness glimmers are temporary. I found it truly human at times, while deeply unbelievable at others, but mostly, I found it relatable and for that reason I will be talking about it with my therapist tomorrow.
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Vomit, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gore, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Trafficking, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Ableism
sapphicsav'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: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Confinement, Death, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Chronic illness, and Drug abuse
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
thetinysnail's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Vomit, Homophobia, Alcohol, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Self harm, Suicide, Ableism, Medical content, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Pedophilia, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Child abuse, Violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Drug use, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Car accident, Addiction, Alcoholism, Racism, Cancer, and Adult/minor relationship