Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

55 reviews

libraryofsachi's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.0

This is miserable. My first thought upon finishing this was “what the fuck did I just read?! And why would anyone write this?”. There were some beautiful moments in this and I enjoyed the found family themes, but that was where it stopped. The trauma is overwhelming in this story. The author has stated numerous times that she wanted to create a character that NEVER gets better, which I think is important to understand going into this (and messed up!), as a book like this can be really damaging to read.

Poor Jude 😭 I feel so sorry for him. But I’m more annoyed at the author than sad. I think my main issue with this book is that it lacks sensitivity towards trauma survivors and sends a pretty harmful message suggesting you will never overcome your trauma - which I think is awful. I think the author exploits trauma more than she claims to explore it. This book doesn’t send out much of a positive message, there isn’t some huge resolution that leaves the reader feeling cathartic. Is this torture p*rn? I don’t know if that’s for me to decide but this book just seems unrealistic at times, like the author threw everything at the wall to see what would stick. I know some people find this book to be “real”, which I’m happy you do, but I found her torture of Jude relentless. Her portrayal of race and gender were a bit strange too.

What I’m choosing to take away from this book is that you really do need to treat everyone with kindness, because you have no idea what they may be going through. Sending lots of love to anyone reading this 💛

I ✨DO NOT✨ recommend this book. Do yourself a favour and don’t read this!!!!! I hate this. 🧍🏽‍♀️

My rating: 1/5 ⭐️

Also “nishihara syndrome”???? 😂

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Ableism

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Violence, Drug use, Eating disorder, Transphobia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

⚠️ Please see the trigger warnings for this book! ⚠️ There are some really sensitive topics and graphic scenes throughout it. Stating upfront that I don’t recommend this book to anyone!

sirensreviews's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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 is one of the best books that I have ever read. After finishing it, I struggled to read other books because nothing compared to how well written and complex this story is. I truly think about this book every single day. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Torture, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Grief, Addiction, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Incest, Sexual content, Self harm, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Rape, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

This is the saddest book that you will ever read. It never gets better and I do not recommend reading it quickly because it is alot to take in.

olivier_c's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Violence, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Mental illness, Transphobia, Rape, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, Body horror, Sexual assault, Self harm, Medical content, and Adult/minor relationship

Please beware, this book is not for everyone. The trigger warning list is almost longer than the book. You definitely do not want to read it if something on the list gets to you, as content is often explicitly described and it can be repetitive in the book.

laylamaethaila's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was an INCREDIBLY hard read. Yahnagihara is such a compelling, jaw dropping writer, and made me feel SO MUCH in like, 700 pages. -.5 for being a bit “trauma porn-y”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Eating disorder, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Death, Incest, Grief, Gaslighting, Ableism, Xenophobia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Physical abuse, Medical content, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, Self harm, and Lesbophobia

yamotha's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Eating disorder, Drug use, Rape, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Body horror, and Medical trauma

birdghosting'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a book that will stay with you for a very long time, for better or for worse. It seems you either love or hate this book, and I came out loving it (even though I ugly cried through over 20% of it—and it's a long book).

As someone who usually reads fantasy and not much set in the real world, I could not put this book down once I got past the introductory section. It was very easy for me to get attached to Jude, who the entire book revolves around (I didn't even realize when starting that this is mainly his story). I was rooting for him the entire way through, desperately wanting to know more about him at each turn as it would offer me something new as a treat.

The characters all felt like they lived real and true lives, and written to perfectly match how you're meant to feel about them in that moment. Even certain characters who I loved the whole way through made errors that I hated reading about, thought to myself that I wouldn't forgive someone doing that to me—and that's life. The relationships everyone has with each other, not just with Jude, are the strongest part of the book.

I'm not used to reading such long prose, but it was very enjoyable. I did have several moments where I would start reading one sentence and get lost among the different branching off thoughts and ideas the single sentence goes through, and I'd have to return to the beginning of the sentence to remember what it was meant to be about. This would also happen with chapters, which would sometimes go into a completely different topic than where we first started before finally circling back around. There was also a lot of academic and legal talk that made me wish I were going back to university, and I didn't have a good mind map of the locations and geography talked about, which makes me curious if someone who knows New York well would be able to picture it clearly.

I think about this story at least once a day.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Stalking, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Grief, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Drug abuse, Torture, Drug use, Gaslighting, Blood, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, and Medical content

Minor: Transphobia, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Classism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

malace0's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Self harm, Drug abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Trafficking, and Suicide

Moderate: Eating disorder and Racism

Minor: Transphobia, Abandonment, and Lesbophobia

sarahdr_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

The only reason why I'm not giving the book 5 stars is because it's such a heavy read— but the writing is deeply compelling, the characters are painfully raw and real and their internal monologues are beautifully (and depressingly) reflective of one's loveliest and most grotesque thoughts.

I'm glad and proud of myself, even, that I read this, but I will never pick this book up again nor will I recommend it to the people I love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Transphobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Torture

selenebooks_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

EDITED: it's been however long after reading this and i have new opinions.
i'm not taking back my 5* rating, because i (unfortunately?) really enjoyed this book and there are certain aspects to which i relate to but, after months of pondering, i cannot recommend this book anymore. and i am very sorry to the people i have recommended this to.

a really good way to start this is by letting you guys read this article by andrea long chu for the vulture: https://www.vulture.com/article/hanya-yanagihara-review.html.
or also, a youtube video:
https://youtu.be/JpZF7O0jezg?si=pWTZBw6LiELRv7Tz

it took so long, but i finally opened up my eyes to the writing style, plot and to the author herself. for a really long time, i did not believe that were people were saying that hanya loves to write gay characters suffering but oh my god, she really does. it's some weird, f*cked up fetishising view on gay people, specially men who seem to be the focus of her books. she's always writing about the most stereotypical things about gay man (like having aids, being victims of SA and/or physical abuse, etc) and some of us have fallen the tiktok rabbit hole of eating this sh*t up.
in a lot of ways, i relate to jude, hence why i have loved this book and i always backed up my opinion by saying jude is the personification of so many people (as if he's the bearer of all the possibly bad things that can happen to a human being), but i simply CAN'T agree with myself. hanya yanagihara just loves writing about weak, sickly young gay men being tortured beyond comprehension. there's never a happy ending, and i know it doesn't have to, but yanagihara probably gets off on seeing miserable people.
not to mention that she is so uncultured, to an extent that made ME feel uncultured. the things that went over my head because she, quite literally, triggered me so much to the point of sobbing on my couch at 10 am finishing this godforsaken book. i think it gave me trauma. this woman has done zero research about the queer community, about therapy, about mental health - all topics she has mentioned over and over and over again in her book(s). she quite literally believes that, if you're so miserable, just k*ll yourself! .... anyway, bold of her to think that way when she coddles her characters so badly, she makes them suffer, nurses them back to health, to put them again at the brink of death, just to repeat the process all over again, until it's time to push them off the edge.
another note i'd like to make, related to my last point, is that "a little life" is just your average ikea manual instructions on how to self-harm. this was brought to my attention in the video i have linked above, and i think it's absolutely mental the amount of times yanagihara writes detailed, gore filed, vomit inducing passages of self-harm. as someone who struggles with that, at first, i felt seen but it came to a point that i couldn't fathom why the depictions had to become more and more disturbing as time went on.

to finish my thoughts, i leave you with my favourite quote from the article by andrea:
"The first time he cuts himself, you are horrified; the 600th time, you wish he would aim."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Car accident, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Eating disorder

Minor: Drug abuse, Transphobia, Drug use, and Lesbophobia

prawdziwki's review against another edition

challenging tense slow-paced

• 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

0.5

o tym też nie chcę rozmawiać, bo mnie nie przekonacie // this is fucking awful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Death, Chronic illness, Ableism, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Biphobia, Transphobia, Homophobia, Vomit, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Outing, Addiction, Drug abuse, Medical content, Classism, Racism, and Grief