Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

138 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

I feel like everyone on the internet has heard about this book, and so I had to give it a read. I have been waiting for the "right" time for me because I knew it was going to be a heavy read.
"A Little Life" follows the lives of four classmates as they graduate from a small Massachusetts college and make the move to New York City. Willem is an aspiring actor, JB is a painter, Malcolm is an architect, and Jude is a litigator. All four of them face immense tragedies and challenges, but they try to remain friends through the decades that book follows.
BE WARNED: this book is graphic and has very heavy content warnings. This book is highly triggering for a plethora of mental health struggles, and it is very difficult to read. Along with meatal health issues, this book explores every type of trauma you can imagine. If you do want to pick this up, read with care.
I thought I knew what heartbreak was, until I read this book. Every time you think the characters are starting to progress forward and you will finally be able to see them be happy, something tragic happens and their lives are torn apart. This story specifically centralizes around Jude, who you slowly realize has been through more trauma in his life alone than any one person should go through. Every time I learned more about Jude I wanted to hug him, but I was also infuriated and just wanted him to open up and see that his past did not ruin him, and the people in his adult life (with one or two exceptions) love him unconditionally. Jude's complexity made him a beautiful point of view to read from. He is so troubled, but he is trying so hard to be "normal". I loved him and hated him, and I think that fact alone indicates exemplary writing.
I understand why some people do not like this book, or think it was written in poor taste. I do think this is a type of book that is not right for most people because of how graphic it gets. But for those who have dealt with similar content matter, I think this book hits you in your soul, and it makes you feel connected to humanity in a way that only sharing pain can allow.
This book is devastating, and I do not recommend it to just anyone. I am glad I read it, and this is definitely something I will be thinking about for a long time. If Hanya Yanagihara's other books are anything like this, I will need quite a while before I can pick something new up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Gore, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Racism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical trauma, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

liv_lovesbooks's review against another edition

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

3.5

I could never in good conscience recommend this book because of the explicit, dark themes. It is beautifully written and if you are not sensitive to most types of trauma, you may love it. I cried to the point of dehydration and headache and felt simultaneously heavy and empty when I finished it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Blood, Trafficking, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Medical content, Grief, Death, Chronic illness, Car accident, and Ableism

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Drug use, Dysphoria, Addiction, Abandonment, Violence, Alcoholism, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Drug abuse

Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent

alisonannk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Blood, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Outing, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Trafficking

Moderate: Dementia, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Alcohol, Racism, Cancer, and Vomit

lindseygcarden's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Addiction, Grief, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Eating disorder, and Trafficking

stitchbooks22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

This book was heartbreaking with beautiful writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Drug use, Gore, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Outing, Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness

lozbot27's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Suicide, Car accident, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Dementia, Infertility, Self harm, Torture, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse

egna's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.25

Beautiful writing, bloody depressing. Best read in chunks with large pauses in between.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Sexual assault, Ableism, Body shaming, Rape, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Biphobia, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Vomit, Abandonment, Addiction, Dementia, and Religious bigotry

epiderma's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Death, Abandonment, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Body shaming, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death and Confinement

Minor: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Cursing

ogatocan'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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Car accident, Body shaming, Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity

hat2daback's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Blood, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Death, Cursing, Child death, Car accident, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Self harm, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Abandonment, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, and Chronic illness