Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

2100 reviews

clara_lotte's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Grief

carrierolling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

4.0

This is one of those books that when I finished, I was glad to have read it; but the reading experience was difficult because of the subject matter as well as the editing, or lack there of. The unedited quality, I think, is intentional, as a life lived and it’s inner workings, especially for someone with CPTSD, is detail ridden, slow, hard to get through at times. I hear the criticisms of this book as trauma porn and respect them, but I would t go that far. I would say, rather, that the story is trauma ridden and that it’s intentionally asking us to stare into the face of it. It just doesn’t make for a great reading experience at times. It begs the question: is the author’s goal to create the art that asks us to face hardship in an immersive way a valuable one? If so, is it worth the loss of a more comfortable reading experience? As many readers would likely abandon such a work? Do we reach more readers if we make the art more palatable? Can the point still come across then?

The book has a lot of buzz, though, so perhaps it’s working.

The criticism that the diverse characters are more secondary and don’t have their own fleshed out arcs is valid. 

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Content Warnings

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

amsh_'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? Yes

5.0

A very hard read, had to take many pauses and breaks for fresh air, but such an overwhelmingly incredible story about trauma, relationships and human endurance. And because I wish I was aware of the many content warnings involved, I’ve tagged them as well as I can below. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

madimack12'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? Yes

5.0

Such a painful read and so beautiful at the same time that I couldnt read it every day, but instead for many hours at a time with many days in between. I loved the characters so much, it was so well written. The choice of just saying "he" instead of a name was so interesting to me and made me feel even more fondness. I think Jude is normally the type of character that would really bother me for being seemingly unable to do anything at all to even try to make his life better, but I really really loved him and he didn't bother me at all. I held in tears for most of it and had a good sob once I officially finished it. I think I'll really miss all these guys.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

saartjeinwonderbookland's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

averyabw'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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism and Kidnapping

julia201'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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

friedbooks'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? Yes

5.0

Amazing and brutal. It was brilliantly written and paced; the beginning was a bit slow, but when Jude's voice began, the book carried me through almost 700 pages with ease. Yanagihara handled all of the difficult topics with aplomb and with photorealistic rendering. I never want to read this book again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

ashannotates'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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Dysphoria

karen_1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Death and Eating disorder