Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

2894 reviews

harrys96's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

realjordanjohnson's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

5.0

This may be the most emotionally devastating book I’ve ever read. What makes it so truly heartbreaking and soul crushing is that the horrors and traumas are real, that they actually happen to people. The emotions are so palpable, so realistic, so savage that I had to physically put this down and just cry- and I cried often. The writing is beautiful. The depictions of friendship, love, and grief may be one of the best examples of writing I’ve ever read. I will truly think about this book for the rest of my life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

katykate'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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

bookish2024'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? Yes

3.5

Not for the faint of heart. This book is very, very well written, but the depression you experience after it is real.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Car accident

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Death of parent

goodolnicole's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, and Blood

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content

ellesbigworld's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

I FUCKING DID IT

I should have taken the fact that I found this book on the side of the road, beaten and bruised, as a sign that maybe I shouldn’t spend the next 2 months reading it. I feel like I am Alan Parrish when he found Jumanji in a construction site and now that curiosity killed the cat, I’m running through a grocery store fighting off Van Pelt with laundry detergent and a price-check scanner. In the same way, I felt determined to finish this book, reach Jumanji, and call out its name. This story will make your mind turn to mush, wish for illiteracy, and force you to fight off demons you didn’t even know you were running from. A Little Life forces an introspection of your own little life and the events that make you who you are. As much as they are insufferable, whiney babies, I think we can all find a place for Jude, Willem, Harold, JB, and Malcolm in our thoughts as we endure the epic poem that Hanya Yanagihara has chained us up in her basement with. I have gone through such a cycle of emotions carrying this book with me for all of 2025 so far and it has taught me two things. One of them being to not listen to people about book recommendations. And two being to listen to people about book recommendations. So many things can be true at once and through this book, I have witnessed a new meaning to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. I feel simultaneously conflicted and secure in my opinion of this book being “do not read this pretentious trauma porn” as well as “step out of your comfort zone and read this pretensions trauma porn.” I can feel several mindless, one-dimensional books heading my way and I will absolutely not be fighting them off. As so many things can be true at once, I feel the need for something to ground me once again after being flung into a strange new world where things are not black and white OR a thousand shades of grey, but a new color palette entirely. I’m proud of myself for finishing, but I will not run this race again. Read the book, don’t read the book, I don’t care, but recommending this book to someone is crazier to me than reading it at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

andrayuh'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

4.25

the writing is beautiful. 
although it’s an 800 page book, the change in characters and timelines makes it flow beautifully. 

can’t say i’ll ever recommend this book to anyone because the level of description can feel like you’re experiencing it.

it will impact you, be wary of the trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Suicide attempt

appalachianaltuntas's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

Beautiful writing and characters that will stick with me for years. However it could’ve been a good 300 pages shorter, and more importantly, I think the portrayal of trauma was not done in a sensitive way. It makes me think the author has not been through any of the things she explores in this book, because if she had, she would never describe it in these ways. But rather, she uses this heavy, graphic content to shock and further her plot rather than discuss honestly. It felt voyeuristic and sadistic, not a sensitive exploration of how trauma impacts someone and those around him. That being said, my heart breaks for Jude and I’ll think about him every day now ❤️ Impactful book, but I feel icky about the author and I think the story could’ve been executed in a much more beautiful and gentler way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

kokoschka's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

isikunkel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.0

This book was horrific??? Why did I keep reading??? I considered stopping so many times but kept telling myself I could finish it but WOW. I had nightmares with this book and it did not do anything good for me. The writing at times was lovely and that is why it gets 2 stars instead of 1. Character growth was minimal. Traumatic to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, and Abandonment