Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

888 reviews

uchiha's review against another edition

slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug abuse

ball's review against another edition

dark sad

• 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

1.0

This book really taught me the difference between a well written book and a good book.
Because even though this book is written well, I wou dn't recommend it to my worst enemy.
I don't understand why so many people anjoyed this book. Never in my life did I cry whilr reading a book from actual terror of never ending terrible descriptions. 
And for what?

So at the end the author could scribble something about kindness even though it was all Harold gave Jude, and still he killed himself. 
So how being kind help? The only conclusion to draw from this book is maybe - everything is hopeless and nothing can be helped 
Or - don't rape children 
Noted, didn't need a whole 800 paged book for that.
So someone who genuinely enjoyed this book please explain why to me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Suicide, and Trafficking

Very hard graphic descriptions

taki_luvr'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

4.75

I have never read a book like this in my life. This book literally chewed me up and spit me the fuck out. The characters are so loveable and three dimensional, but each so flawed in such real ways. I found myself relating to, hating, and loving all of them at one point or another. A little life is definitely not for everyone. If you even think you might not be able to handle the intense content, it's not for you. But for everyone else, this is an incredible insight into the minds of such diverse characters. As for everyone who calls it trauma porn, I understand why they would say that, but I don't agree. All in all, I will definitely be reading this again at some point, and hopefully it won't take me as long to finish it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Suicide

g_ehd's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a very traumatic book and must be aware that the author wrote the topics with the intention of bringing awareness to them! I did appreciate how well the author wrote each part and that you know you’ll need to go into this reading with an open mind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

mikkiokko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

This book could have been really great, but after finishing it I have quite a complicated feeling from it. 

There were things I took away from reading "A Little Life" that were either positive or cathartic (myself having quite a few similarities to Jude). BUT, I am quite concerned about what exactly is being suggested at the end. 

When I got to the end where Jude committed suicide I was taken a back and wondered what Yanagihara was trying to say about him going through with that after everything. At first, the line that caught my attention the most was Harold, in trying to understand Jude's death, saying; "It isn't only that he died, or how he died; it was what he died believing. And so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him". I thought that by diving into the psychology of Jude and getting the reader to care about him, by taking him away at the end of everything she was perhaps trying to show the complex suffering someone can experience. And this line had me wondering if at the end Yanagihara wishes to push the audience to consider the cruelty they are complacent to and to retire that complacency (I thought of the ministers at the church who would stand by something so cruel in particular). Bringing attention to how what Jude so deeply believed about himself was created and perpetuated by cruelty. But then, I've seen what she's said. From my understanding she did no research for "A Little Life" and has suggested that some people are too far gone in their mental illness to seek treatment like therapy. I fear that with the previous line Yanagihara is suggesting that there are people whose beliefs (mental health) are so far gone that it is better for them to take their life. If that is what she intended, I am really confused because there are points earlier in the book that I would say suggest the opposite of her point. Ana's quote; "You'll find you own way to discuss what happened to you. You'll have to, if you ever want to be close to anyone" implies the benefit of exploring, discussing, and attempting to improve your mental health (and it began to work at least a little with Willem!) and that it is all a process anyone can do, but then Yanagihara insists otherwise? Yanagihara also provides wonderful moments OF JUDE BEING HAPPY!!! Of being amazed by how wonderful of people and things he has surrounded himself with. So, why give the idea that he should still kill himself? Why, whether you intend it or not, write a story that could so easily be read as suggesting suicide as an answer? It reminds me too often of people conflating a life full of physical pain as one not worth living. Chronic physical and mental pain are both extremely difficult and possibly never "curable" conditions. But they can still be managed and leave one with a wondrous and joyful life, that happens to be weaved in with pain.

TLDR; I want to say I liked "A Little Life" completely, but I can't. The ending is highly questionable and Yanagihara's commentary has only worsened my suspicions. I'm going to try to hold onto the positives I found or interpreted as there were things in here that meant quite a bit to me, but man can an author's dissonance sour a book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, 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, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

rebeccaalice93's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-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: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

cheera's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

a beautiful story about the significance of friendship and human connection, especially in regards to trauma, but very triggering would not recommend this book to just anyone

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

macwoods's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

I'm the first to admit liking a sad story, but this is trauma porn. This book answers the question: how might an author warrant nearly EVERY trigger warning in their work? Do not read this if you are struggling with or recently recovered from an ED or self harming. I wanted to love the book with these lovable, beautiful characters, but I couldn't get past how unlikely the trajectory was for the main character given the seemingly bottomless well of abuse this young man barely crawled out from. The fiction of a meritocracy almost rescuing this character... In fact, all the characters are wildly successful in their careers because glamour/art/money, I guess.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction and Dysphoria

thednfdarling's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

I felt like I had been holding in tears, so I knew it was time to read my household copy of A Little Life. I enjoyed the character development (even though some characters were not likable in my opinion), the plot, and the writing style of this book. One of the elements of the book that I really enjoyed was that it showed how friendships grow, evolve, and shift over time. I believe it is so important that we form community outside of the nuclear family structure and I felt that this book did a beautiful job illustrating what building, maintaining, and sustaining a community of loved ones looks like over a lifetime. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

kalynnar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, 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, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Dysphoria