Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Ein wenig Leben by Hanya Yanagihara

608 reviews

clarkkaris's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark emotional sad 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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This book is excessively graphic and explores, in troubling detail, triggering topics like sexual abuse, self-injury, and domestic violence. The author seems obsessed with pain and suffering, painting a near-romanticized picture of trauma. Rather than developing her characters and writing a legitimate plot, Yanagihara uses random violence to attempt to evoke emotion from readers. While the characters themselves and their stories are compelling, the extremely unnecessary level of detail and romanticism surrounding sexual trauma makes this book a sickening read.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

tahllzz's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt

tanisha188's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism

ccheheche's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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i want to say that i finished this book because i could say that i read a little life but that would be a lie i was really interested to see what could possibly come next and how much worse things could actually get. i cried like 10 separate times reading this book. overall (i can’t say i enjoyed it…) i was surprised that i liked the book more than i was expecting. although, some parts just dragged on so much with such difficult language and jargon and specificities that it rly just felt like the author was writing these things just to make themself seem smarter and i hateeeee when books do that. overall, a very interesting read, i found myself very invested in jude and willem and harold’s lives. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol

harrys96's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

realjordanjohnson's review against another edition

5.0

dark 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

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This may be the most emotionally devastating book I’ve ever read. What makes it so truly heartbreaking and soul crushing is that the horrors and traumas are real, that they actually happen to people. The emotions are so palpable, so realistic, so savage that I had to physically put this down and just cry- and I cried often. The writing is beautiful. The depictions of friendship, love, and grief may be one of the best examples of writing I’ve ever read. I will truly think about this book for the rest of my life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

bookish2024's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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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Not for the faint of heart. This book is very, very well written, but the depression you experience after it is real.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Death of parent

appalachianaltuntas's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional 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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Beautiful writing and characters that will stick with me for years. However it could’ve been a good 300 pages shorter, and more importantly, I think the portrayal of trauma was not done in a sensitive way. It makes me think the author has not been through any of the things she explores in this book, because if she had, she would never describe it in these ways. But rather, she uses this heavy, graphic content to shock and further her plot rather than discuss honestly. It felt voyeuristic and sadistic, not a sensitive exploration of how trauma impacts someone and those around him. That being said, my heart breaks for Jude and I’ll think about him every day now ❤️ Impactful book, but I feel icky about the author and I think the story could’ve been executed in a much more beautiful and gentler way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

sfkeavy's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Forced institutionalization

battlefieldpoet's review against another edition

1.0

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Honestly, this book just adds on more and more trauma to the main character that I find it hard to believe. Even though I know real people suffer this much, this just pushed my belief suspension past its limits. It's also not as poetic as people seem to think it is, it's prose is fine, but not enchanting. If anything its disenchanting how graphic and detailed all the incidents are. 
I don't recommend this book, especially for anyone with a history of mental health struggles. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, 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, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail