Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

2139 reviews

rinnfoskey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

Ooooft. A long, beautiful and haunting novel. I felt totally captured by this book, staying up far far too several nights in a row to finish it both because I was so invested in the characters lives and Hanya managed to keep the reader engaged over some nearly 800 pages but also because I wanted to be done with it and the emotional turmoil! It was so tender and so brutal, an exaggeration of possibilities on both ends of the spectrum but that we can all find elements in our own "little lives" to connect with. I loved and hated all four of the main characters at points - most of all Jude of course - who we are all made to be infatuated and infuriated by endlessly. 

Certainly things I didn't like or feel weren't as successful in the novel so it's not a 5 star for me, but it was incredibly impacted and I know will be staying with me for a long while 

If you need a good cry, read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Violence

ccoffeeapparently'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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence

thewritetofight's review against another edition

I couldn’t finish the book because of how much trauma was in it. There was so much trauma that Jude went through to a point where it was comical. I was getting tired of every flashback introducing more vile happenings, it was so stupid. Like as if every man he met molested him like Jesus, there comes a point where you just got to stop. This whole book is just trauma porn under the guise of rich male friendship (which is a lie, Malcolm and JB hardly have any part in the 2nd half of the book). 

Also, the fact that Jude is so annoyingly untrusting. “Oh they hate me” no dummy, they’re literally adopting you. Shut up.

This book is just so unrealistic. Waste your money somewhere else.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Mental illness, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Car accident, Alcohol, Death, and Blood

blakeisik's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

Very difficult to pinpoint how i feel about this book. Beautifully written, but full of trauma-porn.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Gore, Homophobia, Rape, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content

ellen1196's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Drug abuse, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Body shaming, Child abuse, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Rape

a_tanya's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Unnecessarily tragic, almost comical.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Car accident, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

floord1's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

2.25

Too much. Not enjoyable. Why would you read this? Why would you write this?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Medical content, Blood, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, and Pedophilia

snapbackid's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Drug abuse, Self harm, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, and Grief

gothdess's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Mental illness, Rape, and Pedophilia

kaitrc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.0

In the end, the story was really good. However, I don’t know if it was worth the trauma I endured reading it. The writing felt scattered, especially because it jumps around in time way too frequently. It took me longer to finish this book than any other book I’ve read: partly because it’s SOOO slow in the first half and partly because I had to take breaks to get through the especially traumatic parts. I would only recommend if you’re in the mood to sob for hours or if nothing can trigger you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Self harm, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pedophilia, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Ableism