Reviews tagging 'Violence'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

1751 reviews

kari_f's review against another edition

4.5

Hands down the absolute saddest book I’ve read in my entire life. I cried an excessive number of times, and will be thinking about this book for a long while. 

Check the trigger warnings because this book has all of them. Okay, may not ALL of them, but most of them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

kayarosee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

I have never had to stop reading a book because I had so many tears in my eyes that I physically could not read the page. While some people say that it could be shorter, I think that is what makes the story that much more powerful. You truly go on a journey of these characters entire life and the cruelty along with it. This book will stick with me for a very long time. Truly a masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Child death and Car accident

tylivreformed's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

jen_sanford's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

This book is beautiful and heartbreaking. I had to stop several times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, and Drug use

foxgame's review against another edition

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

I have a tendency to buy books without really knowing what they are about. I knew this book was reputed to be slightly heavy, a “proper literature” book and about the relationships between 4 grad students living in New York. However this is no Seinfeld. 
I was not prepared for how confronting this book would be. There was every type of abuse covered in more than enough detail - physical,  verbal, drug, sexual, self harm (animal if you’re vegan). 
But the writing draws you in and outlines the story through a third person narrative, either Willem or Jude but also from Harold as a dialogue perspective. This was beautifully written and it fractured, broke and warmed my heart in its rollercoaster journey. I do not think I am the same person I was before I read this book. 
But it is not an easy read, especially being the mother of primary school aged boys. Especially as knowing that parts of this fiction is some people’s reality. 
I am glad I read this book. But I don’t think I could read it again knowing what happens. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

maluulam's review against another edition

challenging 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

Cinco minutos

Uma Vida Pequena foi um dos melhores livros que eu já li, e com certeza o mais triste. Mas mesmo assim proporcionou muitos risinhos sinceros e momentos muito agradáveis, de esquentar o coração. E isso é o que torna o livro tão bom.

É surpreendente a forma como é possível se conectar com os personagens e sentir com eles cada experiência. Além de mudar sua perspectiva dependendo de quem está narrando a história.

Esse livro com certeza vai deixar Jude e Willem, com sua linda e emocionante história, por muuuuito tempo na minha memória.

Uma Vida Pequena mostra os mínimos detalhes e, uma das minhas coisas preferidas no livro, os momentos do dia a dia de uma amizade maravilhosa. Que faz com que mesmo apenas "cinco muitos" façam toda a diferença.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic 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, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

a_hale's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

aadilh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

Heartbreaking

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, 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, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

neppis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.75

Varsinkin alussa kirja oli pitkäveteinen ja tuskallisen hidas lukea. Se saattoi myös johtua siitä, että kirjan teksti oli pientä ja tuntui ettei lukeminen edisty ollenkaan. Kirja käsitteli paljon synkkiä asioita, mutta tunsin myös iloa ja onnea. Paikoittain kirjaa oli ahdistava lukea. Tarina ja kirjoitustyyli olivat loistokkaita, mutta 0.25 tähteä lähti pois kirjan hitauden tajua. Tarina oli todentuntuinen ja herätti paljon erilaisia tunteita.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

macyevo's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.5

This is the longest most depressing story I have ever read. The chapters are like 100 pages long. It’s very traumatic and brings up many tough subjects. The first 100 pages were rough… so many different character stories to get through… and honestly it felt unnecessary for me. I feel like the book could have had the same impact but with half the pages. I couldn’t stop reading it though. Jude’s life was miserable… but at times, happy. He struggled his whole life with his traumatic childhood always in the rear view mirror. You ache for him. You want him to grow past the bad … but this story captures all of the sad and sorrow and death you don’t want for a character. I’m happy to be finished with this book though, finally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, and Violence