Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

O viață măruntă by Hanya Yanagihara

3541 reviews

sarahoza's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Violence, Sexual assault, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Child abuse, and Blood

pris1343's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• 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

cried so much

---

Content Warnings

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

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

A beautifully written book, with changes of perspective and tense which help you connect to the characters. However, the most beautiful and emotive parts of the book are the subtleties of every day life and of grief, the explicit, traumatic scenes feel unnecessary and over the top and distract from the more powerful emotions which are captured perfectly. 
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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

reeccees's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

stephanieelyse's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

3.5

This book is certainly thought provoking in that I have a lot of thoughts…

How is JB the only one who had a drug addiction? 
That is certainly a lot of villains in one persons life.
The Dr Traylor section felt like part of a horror novel.
Being a top litigator defending big pharma…and still being a sympathetic character…is certainly a testament to good writing. 
Did that need to be included?
Did THAT need to be included? 
Did I need to read that, really?
I have heard the author has some…opinions…on therapy, but I feel like this is a strong argument for making therapy more accessible to be able to support survivors early and throughout…

It’s a book I don’t feel I could ever recommend to anyone, I feel like there are much less traumatising character studies that are just as impactful, if not more so. 
The moments expanding and exploring the characters friendships and relationships were very well done and a true highlight. 
Harold was my favourite character by far.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Rape, Eating disorder, Death, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Minor: Cancer

sumnermayla's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Suicide, Rape, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Death, Abandonment, Self harm, Car accident, and Chronic illness

aryan_26's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Rape, Suicide, Drug use, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

kate_j_r's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is a beautifully written book that confronts some very dark themes - it needs a long list of trigger warnings! 

It’s long. Too long in my opinion. But you do really get to know the characters, their relationships, and flaws.

The biggest down side for me was that all the terrible things that happened to the main character (there were so many!) felt over the top and almost ridiculous so I became numb to it. 

There are moments of hope, but  the book is really about a person who experiences so much trauma they can’t find a happy ending, no matter how many people love them, or how brilliant they are.

Thought provoking, and brilliant in places,  but I didn’t love this book, and I can’t imagine recommending it to many people.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Suicide

dogkucks's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

bailliemayberry's review against another edition

2.25

I have never read a book with as much tragedy as this one. It was really hard for me to get through because of how dark the twists were and how casually they were dropped in. There really should be a trigger warning at the beginning of the book rather than just online because the depth of detail was just not right. I understand Yanagihara's approach in wanting it to be confronting, she wants her story to have a significant impact on the reader, but some of the descriptions were just unnecessary and disgusting.

I will not be recommending this to anybody nor will I be re-reading it at any point in my life.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Racism, Ableism, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting