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sapphoxes'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
The story, to me, was largely about abuse and how it can bleed out from what happens to one person throughout their life and into the lives of the people around them; how it can spread. Yes, I believe abuse to be a part of the queer community in a way that historically it is not in the straight community (speaking as a queer woman), but I do not think of abuse as the sole most important aspect of queerness or even queer history. This is all to say that yes, the characters are queer, and yes, abuse is prevalent, but a story about queer people being abused does not automatically define it as a book about queerness. If anything, I found it to be more about the abuse of the disabled, be that mentally or physically, and how abuse in childhood will inevitably follow a person into not just their adult life but the lives of everyone they keep close.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Medical content, Ableism, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Chronic illness, Gore, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Rape, Child death, Cursing, Death, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Confinement, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Be careful while reading. Take breaks.cassiopeiacaeli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
On a purely craft level, it annoys me. This entire book is supposed to be character-driven, but the characters are either incredibly bland or incredibly unbelievable. Jude especially annoyed me. His backstory started off sad, but eventually got so laughably outlandish that I couldn't even care about how much he suffered. This book is only suffering. Half of the content warnings/triggers available on this app included on this one book.
This book also just makes me so angry. What was the point of writing this? What message was the author intending to send? Regardless of what message Yanagihara intended, the message actually told in the book was that eventually a depressed person's suffering gets to the point where their only option is to kill themself. What kind of message is that. Why is it being praised. I find it especially interesting that Yanagihara has not done a single but of research on the heavy topics she deals with, but that she is seemingly proud of her lack of research.
This book and all of Yanagihara's other books are about gay men who get abused and suffer. The best descriptor I can come up for Yanagihara is Fujoshi. Not in the more modern definition of the term as one for someone who enjoys a lot of bl, but the original meaning of a Fujoshi: a straight woman who fetishizes gay men. Yanagihara only writes about the suffering of gay men. Something which she has both not experienced and not researched. Honestly, if this book was adapted into an anime or manga, it's plot would fit perfectly with other badly written yaoi.
Was this book sad? Yes. Does its plot and message hold any value (to me)? No.
This book disgusts me.
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Violence, Grief, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Ableism, Hate crime, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship
iiheartmariah'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
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Car accident, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Ableism, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Addiction, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Terminal illness, and Self harm
sage_3's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Vomit, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Ableism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Torture, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Car accident, Sexual content, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Trafficking
i beg you dont try reading this. if you do please proceed with extreme cautionsallyrooneystanclub's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Self harm, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Biphobia, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Car accident, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Rape, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, and Alcoholism
whenthepawnhits's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Suicide, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Car accident and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Ableism
sarahoza'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: Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Violence, Sexual assault, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Child abuse, and Blood
stephanieelyse'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
3.5
How is JB the only one who had a drug addiction?
That is certainly a lot of villains in one persons life.
The Dr Traylor section felt like part of a horror novel.
Being a top litigator defending big pharma…and still being a sympathetic character…is certainly a testament to good writing.
Did that need to be included?
Did THAT need to be included?
Did I need to read that, really?
I have heard the author has some…opinions…on therapy, but I feel like this is a strong argument for making therapy more accessible to be able to support survivors early and throughout…
It’s a book I don’t feel I could ever recommend to anyone, I feel like there are much less traumatising character studies that are just as impactful, if not more so.
The moments expanding and exploring the characters friendships and relationships were very well done and a true highlight.
Harold was my favourite character by far.
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Rape, Eating disorder, Death, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Cancer
bailliemayberry's review against another edition
2.25
I will not be recommending this to anybody nor will I be re-reading it at any point in my life.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Racism, Ableism, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting
she_hopes's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death, and Drug use