Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Ein wenig Leben by Hanya Yanagihara

457 reviews

theparallax911's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I picked this up as an impulse buy on my way out of the bookstore. I was looking for a very long, immersive story where I could lose myself for a few hours at a time. 

I have such mixed feelings about A Little Life. It is not what you would call a traditional “page turner,” but, when you are pulled in by the raw depictions of traumatic events, it feels as though you must stay as a witness to Jude St. Francis’ suffering. You feel the powerlessness that Willem and Harold must feel when learning Jude’s past. You also cannot look away. 

The prose is exemplary in its ability to draw the reader through horrifying events without romanticizing victimhood. There is a pleasant neutrality in the narrative, allowing the reader to make his or her own emotional connection to the plot. 

Absolutely a must-read for anyone in the mental health or substance use treatment community. Normalizing suicidal ideation, maladaptive coping strategies, and the effects on those close to the nexus of mental illness is by far the best theme in this novel. Recognize the signs in those you love. Be open, supportive, empathetic, and most of all, love one another. 

You never know what someone is going through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment

tlynn627's review against another edition

4.75

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

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A difficult, painful read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail

deb_on_naire's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Heart breaking, beautifully written. One of the saddest books I’ve ever read. Matt Bomer’s reading of the audiobook is supreme and flawless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment

It’s a heavy story and hard to take at times. so anyone who’s sensitive to any of the warnings above should read it with care

abbysingh's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Toxic friendship

frinsreads's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Car accident

mmyoho's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I cared a great deal about the characters but this book became torture porn after a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

pearlmcj's review against another edition

2.5

challenging dark tense

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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On a baseline writing level, the writing was flawed but easy to read and emotionally affecting. I was surprised by how quickly I read it. But my god, I was miserable for most of this and really thought I wouldn’t be triggered by anything, and I was sorely mistaken. Just absolutely miserable for no greater story or thematic reason. I wouldn’t call it trauma porn—that’s unfair to anyone who *has* had similar experiences—but I really hated how cynical and nihilistic the writing was about the trauma and the possibility of healing. Ultimately felt like a waste of time and emotional exhaustion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief

xthankyouplantbasedgodx's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

jamaretto's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

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

nenac0's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail