Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

1302 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

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

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

poofymoi's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

I’m not really sure how to rate this book yet so the stars remain untouched. 

I am left floored but the sheer levels of human atrocities that one author could think of, not to mention the visceral gore, pain, and bodily horror that came from these pages. But they were also showered in the most dedicated, gut wrenching, purest forms of love as well. To love someone so unconditionally that you know may continue to harm you, frighten you, and lead you down life’s darkest paths. No character in this novel runs from these melancholic, sadistic truths of life, which makes it all the more painful and challenging to read. I don’t know if I come away from the book thinking “it’s all worth it in the end,” but then again, how can I not? To love someone with such intensity and fervor and dedication and devotion, to me, is one of the few purest treasures in life. No one who ever loved Jude (really loved Jude) ever left him, even when they knew he would ultimately wreck them. If only he had one ounce of that love and forgiveness for himself. But I guess that’s the point, isn’t it? Sometimes, even loving someone with such intensity cannot make up for those who have harmed them worse. Trust is a fragile, tenuous thing. May we all be lucky enough to find it and recognize it and hold it and believe it. What a fucking horror story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

miri_ktz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

misheto_pet96's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.75

This is a heavy book. The parts that truly broke my heart were at the 40- 60% mark and around 91%. Now I get why everyone (men and women) cry in this book. I liked Willem and Malcome. JB was not my fav. Jude had so much need of therapy, that I cannot even explain it. Their friendship was at times wonderful and awful. I know I will never read this book again because I cannot sit through so much trauma and sadness again. But I also understand why it was recommended to me by so many people online and in my real life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

battlefieldpoet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.0

Honestly, this book just adds on more and more trauma to the main character that I find it hard to believe. Even though I know real people suffer this much, this just pushed my belief suspension past its limits. It's also not as poetic as people seem to think it is, it's prose is fine, but not enchanting. If anything its disenchanting how graphic and detailed all the incidents are. 
I don't recommend this book, especially for anyone with a history of mental health struggles. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

rosy3373'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

annamqj's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

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