Reviews tagging 'Racism'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

179 reviews

ktbee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Car accident, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Self harm, Trafficking, Medical trauma, and Rape

Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Ableism

moomoochamp's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Self harm, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Ableism, and Medical trauma

Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Fatphobia, and Vomit

hollaylonn's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Pedophilia, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Ableism, Car accident, Chronic illness, and Domestic abuse

transchilles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Addiction, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Suicide, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Rape

inegabriels's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Homophobia, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

skyleetux's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Drug use, Suicide, Sexual violence, Self harm, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Grief, Blood, Addiction, Vomit, Sexual content, Mental illness, Transphobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Bullying, and Body horror

jdraindavis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A piece of literature that completely devastes and enraptures. The detail in which you are thrust into the innermost traumas and struggles of the characters is unmatched. I will be processing this story for a long, long time. Exploring the themes of catastrophic grief, you are not given relief in this book. Be prepared to weep. I found myself getting frustrated with some of the plot when it focuses on the mundane, but then a tragic event would occur that would tie everything into the quotidian experiences. It was alike living another life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, and Vomit

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I feel like everyone on the internet has heard about this book, and so I had to give it a read. I have been waiting for the "right" time for me because I knew it was going to be a heavy read.
"A Little Life" follows the lives of four classmates as they graduate from a small Massachusetts college and make the move to New York City. Willem is an aspiring actor, JB is a painter, Malcolm is an architect, and Jude is a litigator. All four of them face immense tragedies and challenges, but they try to remain friends through the decades that book follows.
BE WARNED: this book is graphic and has very heavy content warnings. This book is highly triggering for a plethora of mental health struggles, and it is very difficult to read. Along with meatal health issues, this book explores every type of trauma you can imagine. If you do want to pick this up, read with care.
I thought I knew what heartbreak was, until I read this book. Every time you think the characters are starting to progress forward and you will finally be able to see them be happy, something tragic happens and their lives are torn apart. This story specifically centralizes around Jude, who you slowly realize has been through more trauma in his life alone than any one person should go through. Every time I learned more about Jude I wanted to hug him, but I was also infuriated and just wanted him to open up and see that his past did not ruin him, and the people in his adult life (with one or two exceptions) love him unconditionally. Jude's complexity made him a beautiful point of view to read from. He is so troubled, but he is trying so hard to be "normal". I loved him and hated him, and I think that fact alone indicates exemplary writing.
I understand why some people do not like this book, or think it was written in poor taste. I do think this is a type of book that is not right for most people because of how graphic it gets. But for those who have dealt with similar content matter, I think this book hits you in your soul, and it makes you feel connected to humanity in a way that only sharing pain can allow.
This book is devastating, and I do not recommend it to just anyone. I am glad I read it, and this is definitely something I will be thinking about for a long time. If Hanya Yanagihara's other books are anything like this, I will need quite a while before I can pick something new up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Gore, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Racism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical trauma, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

madamelacy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

The story is set primarily in New York and centres on one character in particular. 

I feel very torn with this book. It was beautifully written but painfully slow. I felt like it gave incredible insight into the repercussions on someone’s adult life following abuse as a child. It made for very difficult reading at times. I really felt for the main character, but he was quite narcissistic, so I’m struggling to understand how he got and kept so many loyal friends!! 

I found the sections on self harm incredibly, disturbingly well-written; Jude’s thought processes and urges to self-harm were so insightful. 

Jude and Willem’s characters were well-developed.  Poor Malcolm only got a look-in when he was useful as a plot vehicle and as a conduit between JB and the other two. He didn’t seem vital to the friendship group a lot of the time. 

There are so many trigger warnings with this book! Buyer beware!  You need to be in a good place mentally to cope with this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Excrement

dreadpiraterudis's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is just so desperately sad. Beautiful, but so sad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Medical trauma, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Torture, Ableism, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Trafficking