Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Pieni elämä by Hanya Yanagihara

671 reviews

sapphicsav's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

This is the second time I read A Little Life, and yet it was somehow even more devastating and poignant than the first. The prose is captivating and flows effortlessly. Jude, and all of them, are desperately loveable and constantly relatable. The book is perfectly titled. It is, for better or for worse, an arresting chronicle of a whole human life. It is graphic and physically painful to read, but it is worthwhile. We love people and it matters even if it is not enough. Read this book. You will be devastated, but not disappointed.

---

Content Warnings

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

aclancy974's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’m going to be thinking about this for a long time. In the best way. Memorable. Soulful. Moving. But please see content warnings, this could be potentially triggering or you may want to prepare to read differently ❤️

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Islamophobia

caitlin_d89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

Take notes, they will help so much at first. It will say “he did” / “he said” but the POV changes up without notice so knowing the characters will keep you from being confused. Hard book to read since it’s so emotional but such a good read. I felt connected to the characters, almost like a friend by the end so you really feel their feels. Triggers! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Dysphoria, Blood, Ableism, Medical content, Gaslighting, Confinement, Body shaming, Abandonment, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Self harm, Torture, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Trafficking, Suicide, Mental illness, Gore, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Body horror, Incest, and Child abuse

Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Gaslighting, Addiction, Bullying, Gore, Biphobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Incest, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Kidnapping

jessiemcg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

I’m really struggling to rate this book. The actual RELIEF I felt when I finally turned the last page and finished reading this. As someone who cry’s at literally everything - this book didn’t make me cry. It was however, so consuming in how it made me feel. Incredibly sad, depressing and altogether draining. A very hard book to read and one I wouldn’t recommend.

Every time I put it down, I didn’t want to pick it up again. On reflection - doesn’t it say something that writing can evoke such a reaction? 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Addiction, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Death, Gaslighting, Torture, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, and Medical trauma

trayana's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

dark sad tense slow-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

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

andiesbooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Child death

rainreading's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical content, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gore, Car accident, Grief, and Body shaming

audreyoatmeal's review against another edition

I do normally enjoy books that have trigger warnings related to those in this book. They help me feel more connected to my younger self, and such. But it almost felt like this — although very good —  was subconsciously sabotaging my mental health. Really wish I could’ve finished it, but remember to do what it best for you!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Sexual assault, Violence, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse and Addiction

Minor: Abandonment

It’s a good story. If you can push through, I think it would be worth it. But do not sacrifice your mental health.

palebea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fucking hell. 
I went into this book totally blind and I don't even know how I managed that. I was looking for a palate cleanser and somehow fell on this. 

I don't recommend it. I think you need to look at the TWs and take them seriously. Don't take them as a challenge. I listened to this book and had the words echoing in my head for months. The emotional turmoil I went through reading this book - I don't think I would have appreciated this if I read this about a year ago when I was in the pits of my own struggles. 

That all said. This book changed how I viewed a lot of things. It's so painfully sad and take painful literally here, I spent hours sobbing. The writing is beautiful, the way the characters develop. The world they live in. Months on and I'm still struggling to really put into words how impactful this book was. On a surface level, I can understand why people regard as it as "trauma porn" but the sad reality of the world is that it just isn't rosy. 

I connected to a lot of the descriptions and experiences of really gnarly MH struggles. It's not comfortable to read about. 

I will re read this book at some point but it's an undertaking I'm so not ready for. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Grief, Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

PLEASE DO NOT GO INTO THIS LIGHTLY. THE TWS ARE GRAPHICALLY DISCUSSED AND DESCRIBED. THEY ARE MAIN THEMES TO THE BOOK. THERE IS NO HEA. THERE IS NO RESBITE TO MAKE THE HARROWING READ MORE PALATABLE. SERIOUSLY CALL YOUR THERAPIST AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE.. GET ONE.