Take a photo of a barcode or cover
I was validated by this book in ways that healed me. but I respect the fact that this book is not for everyone, it is deeply disturbing. so do approach it with caution
there are so many passages in this book that reflect on so many things, ranging from parenthood, grief, trauma, love, friendship and philosophy. and that is why I love it, people say it's only a book about trauma and shock factor, but it truly is so so much more.
this book altered my brain chemistry in the best (and worst) ways possible.
be kind, you never know what someone is going through, we feel so much for the characters here because we got to know them and their stories, but that won't happen for all the people we meet in our lives, the least we can do is be kind.
as Harold said, "And so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him."
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence
Minor: Blood
But at the same time, it gets so dark and in so. much. detail. Does the writing deserve above my rating, five stars even? Yes. But is it a book I'd ever recommend to anyone? No. It's like recommending Requiem for A Dream—it's well done, but you'd be a total asshole to the other person by telling them to read/watch it.
I'm not a wuss when it comes to sad stories. I love them. I'm on a constant hunt for the next devastating book, movie, or TV show. But in A Little Life, I not only met my match, I was absolutely destroyed. Even I had to at one point say: "Enough. You've made your point that things are awful and hopeless. Move on." It's not difficult to finish because it's boring (it's not), it's soul-crushing. And in a sadistic way that often feels like it wasn't necessary.
So, read at your own discretion.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Speaking of JB, fuck him. Fuck him for feeding into the negative Black stereotypes. Why wouldn't he be proud of his mom? Why not correct people on their assumptions? He really comes across as someone incredibly detached from his identity but wants all the perks of being Black. He doesn't get to let people make assumptions, not correct them, and then clear it up right before his friend comes over—because he knows it's not right and he knows his aunts and mother and grandmother wouldn't be okay with that. My question is why did he do that? Every time he opened his mouth or every time we got a chapter of his POV, my eyes rolled back in my skull and I spent my time instead counting the grooves in my brain matter.
Everything from the dense, verbose, detail-padded writing to the selfish, holier-than-thou dramatic-ass characters is a huge book turn off for me.
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Cursing, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
- it's racist (not just according to the characters or to set the tone for the time period... it's weird writing about the black vs. white struggle as an Asian woman who has done no research on the subject....)
- they measure success by very classist metrics
- All it seems to protray is that life=suffering and then you die (hopefully sooner rather than later)
- its portrayal of gay men is so, so bad that they should've just not
- there is no point. Authors purpose?? Certainly not for pleasure. Or education or enjoyment or advertisement.
- it romanticizes abuse and trauma and self harm and suffering. This book is just one love letter to suffering. It even teaches you how to do it, and goes into excessively gruesome detail for far too long for it to just be inform a reader by utilizing shock value... it often fetishizes it, interlacing these scenes with sexual desire and/or eroticism
- it's repetitive. Like Jesus christ 400 pages is just recounting of Jude's past. This book didn't need to be 814 pages.
- because of how long and repetitive it is i was bored for a little. Like I'd never thought I'd get so bored reading incredibly detailed and gross accounts of abuse. But I did. I strolled through it, barely batting an eye, yawning.
infuriating, pointless, abusive, disrespectful, abhorrent, divisive, weaponized, trash
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, 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, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault
It is also genuinely triggering, in the literal sense. It certainly was for me, so if you do take on this artistic piece of writing know that you’re in for quite the journey and you’ll want to keep tissues on hand.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail