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sentiaracha'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: Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Death of parent, Vomit, Transphobia, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Grief, Excrement, Drug abuse, and Death
Minor: Cancer, Dementia, and Fatphobia
dandiego_01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Excrement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Torture, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
gabbagirl'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
cjallen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit
clausbookshelf'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
I'll say one thing before letting you jump into this; whatever you do, under no circumstances let yourself relate to any character in this book. You will be emotionally demolished.
Another side note: I have added all the content warnings I remembered that I came across throughout the book, if any of these might present a trigger to you, take my advice and do not read this. It is all described in such horrendously graphic detail that at times I had to put the book down and could not pick it up for the next few days.
That being said, this is one of the most linguistically and psychologically complex books I have ever had the privilege of reading, and I know for a fact that I will think about it forever. Hanya Yanagihara's novel follows four bright ambitious and talented friends living in New York after university and struggling to navigate and find their place in the wider world.
Despite the fact that more often than not, A Little Life could easily be described as "gratuitously graphic", Yanagihara's novel puts so much soul into the in-depth character analysis of every single person we come across within its 700 pages. By the end we find ourselves empty and hurt because we have spent so long getting to know these intricate and complicated people, and attempting to answer with them a series of life's unanswerable questions.
More than anything I think I loved this book so much because it wasn't based around romance and sex. Of course it was included, after all this is a memoir which follows four men living in New York from age 20 to 60. But the most satisfying thing to me was that solace was rarely found in romantic connections, it was the friendships and their fluidity and complexity which gave this novel it's beautiful intensity.
A Little Life was upsetting, traumatic, and harrowing. But by far the best book I have ever read.
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
dearbhlaq'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: Car accident, Body horror, Self harm, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Medical content, Hate crime, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Child death, Ableism, Abandonment, Gore, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Chronic illness
ganseys'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
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Death, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Abandonment, Body shaming, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, and Stalking
hannah_jane_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Ableism, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, and Kidnapping
mimideluisa'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
4.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
sheryl_reads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My copy is 720 pages long and, although there are slower sections, I enjoyed spending every page with these characters. Not just the 4 friends, but the supporting characters too. You live with them through their darkest moments and their triumphs.
I’m keeping this spoiler free, so I won’t go into the story, but for me it’s a 5 ⭐️ read! I’d seen other reviews that raves about it, so went in thinking it might not live up to expectations, but it 100% does.
If this has been sitting on your shelf - go read it. And if it’s not on your shelf, go get it. It will leave you with a book hangover, but a hangover of the best kind!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit