Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

2381 reviews

piasta's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

Gemischte Gefühle. Die letzten hundert Seiten waren die Besten. Ich musste nicht weinen, dennoch war es an manchen Stellen (be)rührend. Die Mitte (Seiten 400-600) hat sich stellenweise gezogen. Sprachlich meist einfach, außer die juristischen Passagen und Fachbegriffe. Die stellen über und um Kunst fand ich seht schön. 
Ich fand schade, dass es nur am Anfang POVs von JB und Co. gab. Z.B. die neben-Story über den Drogenmissbrauch fand ich spannender als die zichste Wiederholung von Judes Unverbesserlichkeit. Ehrlich gesagt, fand ich Jude sogar etwas nervig. Zu viel Selbstmitleid und Ignoranz, auch wenn ich verstehe, dass Trauma so etwas auslösen kann. Ich dachte auch, dass er eher stirbt. 
Klassismus: Apparently sind alle Charaktere reich und jetten um die Welt. Es wäre schön gewesen, auch andere Perspektiven kennenzulernen. 

Dachte, es passieren verrücktere oder „schlimmere“ Dinge. Vielleicht sind die Leute auf Booktok nur an ihre Romance-Bücher gewöhnt oder ich habe zu viele Fitzeks/Krimis gelesen. Jedenfalls hat es mich nicht schockiert oder traumatisiert. Insgesamt Medium, etwas overhyped, aber grundsätzlich einfach nur eine lange Skizze eines Lebens - wie der Titel sagt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

Minor: Vomit

kasumi_misty's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• 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, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

jordan21's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

This is without a doubt the most  tragically beautiful book I’ve ever read. The depth and diversity of the characters is outstanding, and I appreciate the slow burn of the plot. At times, the endless trauma felt unrealistic (how could so much horror happen to one person??) but that realization helped me finish the book without indulging in too much existentialism. 

Books focusing on male friendship and chosen family are few and far between, but Yanagihara perfectly indulges in this theme. 

I was almost disappointed that Willem and Jude developed a romantic relationship because it twisted the platonic love that I enjoyed so much, but I ultimately forgave it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction and Emotional abuse

liajodest's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

loquaciousleon's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was like breathing. Both painfully and beautifully.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

marinara_xcx's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.25

Disturbing and triggering at many points, but I could see some of myself in each character and their flaws. I wish the POC characters were given more attention instead of focusing mainly on 2 out of the 4 characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

rebeccaroman'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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, and Drug use

scland09's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I think this book was beautifully written, and there were parts I enjoyed. The descriptions of the characters’ relationships, especially at inflection points, were lovely. But in the end a few things bothered me too much to truly like the book. 

First, I can’t understand the narrative choice of introducing us to four main characters in such detail, only to follow two for the next 650 pages. Malcolm and JB went from central characters to “only there to further the plot.” It felt weird to do that to the two Black characters. My other big issue was that Jude’s past felt like a grotesque caricature of trauma. A compelling character study could be made if he had gone through just one or two of the traumas the author describes. The amount and detail of each trauma felt like overkill; they didn’t add anything to the story other than an air of unbelievability. I don’t think “trauma porn” is the right description for a work of fiction, but it really felt like the other asked herself “what is the worst thing that can happen to a person” and decided to add everything she could think of, however outlandish, with no thought to balance. As mentioned, this is what made it go from character study to caricature to me. The other things that bugged me were small — like really? All four friends became so successful in their fields as to have multiple residences on multiple continents? — and I think they irked me more because of my two main issues. Again, though, the writing was beautiful, which saved this from being a 1- or 2-star read for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

yunglouv's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Trafficking, and Suicide attempt

tamagofish's review against another edition

They're staying in "the happy years" and there's nothing you can do to stop me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction and Self harm

Beautifully written trauma porn