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margaritaflower'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
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Death, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Chronic illness, Self harm, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Trafficking
Moderate: Grief, Drug abuse, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Car accident, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Body shaming, Ableism, Medical content, Alcohol, and Eating disorder
mahidesai'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
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Self harm, Violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Grief, Gore, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Car accident
Moderate: Vomit and Blood
Minor: Alcohol
antoinelonestar'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, Physical abuse, Car accident, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Vomit, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, and Death of parent
jaidenjarmosco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Ableism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit
skyleetux'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Drug use, Suicide, Sexual violence, Self harm, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Grief, Blood, Addiction, Vomit, Sexual content, Mental illness, Transphobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Bullying, and Body horror
terp's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Addiction, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Sexual assault, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
jaybird_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I will begin this by saying that I am a queer disabled man, and it is for that reason (and my insatiable, sometimes harmful curiosity) that I read this book.
This book is not some great gay novel as so many have claimed. It is not even written about queerness; it just uses sex with men as one of the many ways that Jude is physically and emotionally tortured. Jude’s sexuality, trauma, and disability is not written with empathy — it is written with a sick fascination that is voyeuristic in nature.
Some of the characters are more than lovable. Some of the scenes and relationships are beyond beautiful. I cried over the first description of Jude’s pain because it was so similar to my own. I cried over the care that Harold showed Jude. I don’t care. The point of this book could have been achieved in 200 less pages and with less than half of the atrocities that were done to Jude.
I might write more later, but for now I have finally sat down and read (in one week) this 800 page trauma-porn novel that so many people are undeservedly obsessed with (most likely because our culture is obsessed with trauma and abuse, especially that visited upon queer men) and can finally say from personal experience: do not fucking read this book.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Car accident, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Violence, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Vomit, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
robinsera'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
1.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Eating disorder, Gore, Medical content, Physical abuse, Stalking, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Vomit, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Death, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
"A Little Life" follows the lives of four classmates as they graduate from a small Massachusetts college and make the move to New York City. Willem is an aspiring actor, JB is a painter, Malcolm is an architect, and Jude is a litigator. All four of them face immense tragedies and challenges, but they try to remain friends through the decades that book follows.
BE WARNED: this book is graphic and has very heavy content warnings. This book is highly triggering for a plethora of mental health struggles, and it is very difficult to read. Along with meatal health issues, this book explores every type of trauma you can imagine. If you do want to pick this up, read with care.
I thought I knew what heartbreak was, until I read this book. Every time you think the characters are starting to progress forward and you will finally be able to see them be happy, something tragic happens and their lives are torn apart. This story specifically centralizes around Jude, who you slowly realize has been through more trauma in his life alone than any one person should go through. Every time I learned more about Jude I wanted to hug him, but I was also infuriated and just wanted him to open up and see that his past did not ruin him, and the people in his adult life (with one or two exceptions) love him unconditionally. Jude's complexity made him a beautiful point of view to read from. He is so troubled, but he is trying so hard to be "normal". I loved him and hated him, and I think that fact alone indicates exemplary writing.
I understand why some people do not like this book, or think it was written in poor taste. I do think this is a type of book that is not right for most people because of how graphic it gets. But for those who have dealt with similar content matter, I think this book hits you in your soul, and it makes you feel connected to humanity in a way that only sharing pain can allow.
This book is devastating, and I do not recommend it to just anyone. I am glad I read it, and this is definitely something I will be thinking about for a long time. If Hanya Yanagihara's other books are anything like this, I will need quite a while before I can pick something new up.
Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Gore, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Racism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical trauma, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
pretentiousnerd'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
Broke me, made me see all my flaws and fall in love with characters that would inevitably leave.
I loved them all .
I know that this book will stay with me for a while and I don't think I'm ready for this.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pedophilia, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Gore, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, and Addiction