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mahamsiddiqui'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
3.0
I give three stars because it's a very well written book. It's comprehensive, I think the beauty of this book is how it follows the life of the friends from their birth to their death. Not an excerpt taken from their life but their whole life. So, three stars for the writing, but zero stars for it being a trauma porn.
Anyway, read it on your own discretion. I still cannot ascertain if I would recommend this book or not.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Vomit, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer
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: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug 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, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
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: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
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: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
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: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
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: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Trafficking, and Suicide attempt
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: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
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: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
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, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking, and traumatic