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megmahoney1's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Medical content, Rape, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Cursing, Addiction, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Grief
cassiopeiacaeli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
On a purely craft level, it annoys me. This entire book is supposed to be character-driven, but the characters are either incredibly bland or incredibly unbelievable. Jude especially annoyed me. His backstory started off sad, but eventually got so laughably outlandish that I couldn't even care about how much he suffered. This book is only suffering. Half of the content warnings/triggers available on this app included on this one book.
This book also just makes me so angry. What was the point of writing this? What message was the author intending to send? Regardless of what message Yanagihara intended, the message actually told in the book was that eventually a depressed person's suffering gets to the point where their only option is to kill themself. What kind of message is that. Why is it being praised. I find it especially interesting that Yanagihara has not done a single but of research on the heavy topics she deals with, but that she is seemingly proud of her lack of research.
This book and all of Yanagihara's other books are about gay men who get abused and suffer. The best descriptor I can come up for Yanagihara is Fujoshi. Not in the more modern definition of the term as one for someone who enjoys a lot of bl, but the original meaning of a Fujoshi: a straight woman who fetishizes gay men. Yanagihara only writes about the suffering of gay men. Something which she has both not experienced and not researched. Honestly, if this book was adapted into an anime or manga, it's plot would fit perfectly with other badly written yaoi.
Was this book sad? Yes. Does its plot and message hold any value (to me)? No.
This book disgusts me.
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Violence, Grief, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Ableism, Hate crime, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship
nrougely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Body horror, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Grief, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Torture, Toxic friendship, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
dominika_benmichael's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Torture, Suicide, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Death, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Self harm, Car accident, Child abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
sage_3's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Vomit, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Ableism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Torture, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Car accident, Sexual content, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Trafficking
i beg you dont try reading this. if you do please proceed with extreme cautioncabooklvr4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Vomit, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Suicide
amandaantonitti's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Torture, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Chronic illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Suicide, Sexual content, Self harm, Rape, Sexual violence, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Dementia, and Car accident
pris1343's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Violence, Drug use, Grief, Self harm, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual violence
emmah27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The book could have been just as good and you could have just as much connection to Jude without so many horrors in his back story.
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual violence, Child death, Mental illness, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Grief, Blood, Death, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia
mlange1432's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual assault, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Grief, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Addiction, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Torture