Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Ein wenig Leben by Hanya Yanagihara

130 reviews

oscarpimlett's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I haven’t read anything that has floored me as much as this did. All of the other reviews you have read will be right, it is traumatic and heavy and graphic, but I wasn’t prepared for the emotional journey i would be taken on alongside the shockingly graphic parts of the book. Spanning decades Yanagihara manages to weave and craft characters more complex than any other I have read, all the while maintaining a somehow humorous streak alongside everything else. What struck me and will stick with me most deeply from this book though were not the traumatic scenes, but the scenes of tender love, kindness and care shown between the friends and the other characters. These truly moved me and for that reason I can’t give it anything other than 5 stars! Definitely read, but yes, make sure you’re in a good space before you do!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, 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, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria

meggoes's review against another edition

2.0

emotional 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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UPDATED REVIEW: after reading more about the author and her intentions with this book...it went from a beautiful heartbreaking story of the power of love and kindness to a disgusting revelry in people she sees as "irredeemably broken."  This perspective shift churned up what was a 5 star book and spat it out as 2 stars for me.  I would only recommend this to people who are not nor have ever been depressed/suicidal and who want a prolonged, painful tearjerker.

Devastating, enrapturing saga. Heartbreaking, again and again. 

I think I appreciate this book so much because it made me feel. A lot. Frequently. I've never shed so many tears for a story. 

The depths of love, the talons of trauma. The beauty of lives woven together and the devastation when they are torn apart.

Honestly if you have any triggers whatsoever please think long and hard about whether it makes sense to read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Dementia, Stalking

there is graphic, frequent descriptions of self harm, mental illness, the sexual and physical abuse of a child, and a detailed violent abusive relationship. On page 392 to 393 there is a detailed description of a suicide attempt, and on one of the last pages an additional description of suicide. If any of the trigger warning topics are distressing to you PLEASE pass on this book. It is horrifying.

sootlamb's review against another edition

4.75

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: Yes

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A book that I thoroughly enjoyed but at the same time reading about the protagonists history was just too intense/too much

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

sinny's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense 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, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

luli717's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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so fucking sad and wouldn’t recommend it to even my worst enemy. But did I love it? Hell yeah

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment

tisaida'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: Yes

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i understand the trauma porn critiques but i love it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Dementia

apearlz's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

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

miri_ktz's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail