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mixty's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Medical content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Body horror, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Mental illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Trafficking, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
lexipassno's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Vomit, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Body horror, Chronic illness, Suicide, Trafficking, Addiction, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Self harm
turningpagesmm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I read A little Alice with Molly from @twoliterateladies as a buddy read (hence the post it’s). When we finished I wrote a review which will be very different from this one, after some reflection and research, in re-doing it.
First of all, thank goodness for Molly, I don’t think either of us realise how lucky we were to be reading this with someone else.
I didn’t like this book, in fact I hated it and I don’t say that lightly. The few redeeming qualities weren’t nearly enough to bring it around. If I knew the utter devastation I would feel after reading each part, I wouldn’t have picked it up.
A few graphic scenes in this book made me physically sick and I think it went way too far. After some research into the author I can see that I am not the only one who feels that Yanagihara went too far when it came to the treatment of her gay characters, it was almost torturous.
I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t recommend this book. I think my brain has started blocking it out and has decided that I won’t be retaining any of this book as I am already forgetting it.
Jude, Willem and Harold- you have my heart but I’m sorry, you weren’t enough to redeem this book for me.
I saw this book everywhere so I can’t help but think that I might be in the minority here but my last review, is just wrong now.
What can I say about this book?
This won’t be a long reviews because I am emotionally drained but I wanted to write it while it was still fresh.
The way this book is written is honestly phenomenal, the love I had for these characters was so real, I laughed, I cried and hurt with them.
Please before reading be aware of your triggers, this has been on my TBR for years but I wasn’t brave enough to start it, luckily Molly @twoliterateladies felt the same so we started a buddy read. Though I raced ahead at one point because I needed it to be over. I couldn’t focus on any other book, I had a pit of anticipation and dread it my stomach and I just needed it be over. I 100% recommended reading at the same time as a friend because by the end I was very emotionally unstable.
My history of grief from losing my dad a couple of years ago played a huge part in my reaction to A Little Life so I would recommend reading triggers warning and tread carefully because crying to the point of having a panic attack and throwing up is not it (learn from my mistake).
Overall, I’m glad I read it and I’m glad I didn’t miss out on these stories. Multiple times I had to remind myself that it was not real, it is a work of fiction and a work of art at that.
Possible spoiler below!!!!!
Bad news- this book is devastating.
Good news- I am content with the ending and after I actually stopped reading the book I was able to calm down and stop thinking about it.
I know there have been talks of a TV series/movie and there is a stage show but I can never revisit this book again.
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
kiymariah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Addiction, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Abandonment, Grief, Car accident, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping
alaskanfae's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Car accident, Bullying, Alcoholism, Addiction, Body horror, Sexual violence, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Torture, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Pedophilia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Death, Body shaming, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Chronic illness
juliagongaware's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Self harm, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Suicide
bpina92's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Confinement, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Body horror, Bullying, Kidnapping, Rape, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Drug use, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Torture, Eating disorder, Suicide, Violence, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, and Dysphoria
leezy's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Mental illness, Abandonment, Rape, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Trafficking
cnorman4405's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Self harm, Vomit, Mental illness, Blood, Dysphoria, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
Absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking, and traumaticbecphe's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Pedophilia, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Self harm, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Torture, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Mental illness, Body horror, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Confinement, Vomit, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Violence, Outing, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content