Scan barcode
holliejoy'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
3.75
Graphic: Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Stalking, Excrement, Addiction, Body horror, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Suicide, and Terminal illness
raitherabbit'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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Dysphoria, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Mental illness, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Body horror, Body shaming, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Rape, Chronic illness, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence
dairyfreemozzarella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
on a seperate note i think the back cover should reflect more of the pure agony of this book OR there should be a list of trigger warnings in the begining. i was not prepared!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Medical trauma, Ableism, Blood, Grief, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Trafficking, Violence, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Medical content, Mental illness, Torture, Drug use, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Body horror, Car accident, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Drug abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Stalking, Eating disorder, Outing, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Vomit, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, and Dementia
sibbee'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: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Medical content, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, Excrement, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
madamelacy'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? It's complicated
3.75
I feel very torn with this book. It was beautifully written but painfully slow. I felt like it gave incredible insight into the repercussions on someone’s adult life following abuse as a child. It made for very difficult reading at times. I really felt for the main character, but he was quite narcissistic, so I’m struggling to understand how he got and kept so many loyal friends!!
I found the sections on self harm incredibly, disturbingly well-written; Jude’s thought processes and urges to self-harm were so insightful.
Jude and Willem’s characters were well-developed. Poor Malcolm only got a look-in when he was useful as a plot vehicle and as a conduit between JB and the other two. He didn’t seem vital to the friendship group a lot of the time.
There are so many trigger warnings with this book! Buyer beware! You need to be in a good place mentally to cope with this book.
Graphic: Medical content, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Excrement
helena_sp_07'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: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Excrement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Outing, Eating disorder, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Dementia, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cancer, Hate crime, and Torture
elviolet'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Medical content, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism and Body shaming
lozbot27'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Suicide, Car accident, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Dementia, Infertility, Self harm, Torture, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
midnightmarauder's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
In the beginning, I found myself very frustrated with Jude, my gripe lying mainly with his stubbornness and unwillingness to try to get better. He was someone that was fully aware that something was wrong with him, yet constantly ignored the people around him—the people that loved him—and their advice to seek help. But, as I continued to read, I reprimanded myself.
As the book reveals the severity of Jude's trauma, it becomes clear that he is beyond saving. I held onto hope,
Hanya Yanagihara's portrayal of Jude is both beautiful and heartbreaking. She tells a story of a broken boy who you'd hope would come out on the other end a healthy, well-rounded man. In a way, he did, but there was always a part of him that would remain broken, no matter how well things around him became.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gaslighting, Vomit, Suicide, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Rape, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Blood, Dysphoria, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Abandonment, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Vomit and Excrement
Minor: Car accident, Child death, Cursing, and Drug use
gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
- The fatphobia: this book constantly ridicules fat persons, both in the language that is used to craft their existence, or in the way that these characters are treated by others (see: JB).
- The transphobia: in one scene, a side character is having, what is presumed to be, a transitioning party. At no point within the text does the author nor the characters switch their use of pronouns after learning this.
- The friendships: I've heard people talk MANY times about how this book is such a good marker of friendship. It is not. The friendships in this book are unhealthy, borderline abusive. The characters hold their friends on pedestals, refusing to see any flaws from their friends. The OTHER OPTION is that the characters view their friends suffering and flat out, selfishly refuse to see past it, as if nothing is wrong.
- The depiction of queer relationships: Yanagihara disgusts me. The constant depiction of MLM relationships as something "wrong", as something "disgusting" eventually culminating to Queer tragedy felt so utterly wrong. She did not handle Queer issues with any grace, instead choosing to force trauma upon trauma upon Queer characters
- The trauma: at a certain point in the book, I started to roll my eyes at the amount that Jude suffered. Not because he deserved it, but because each time the reader thinks things might get to a place that is okay, Yanagihara thrusts something in the readers faces, as if to say "NO! LOOK! LOOK! ACTUALLY IT"S JUST BAD!" I don't fucking care that she intended this book to be a reflection of cherishing life's happy moments. What came across was horrendous.
- The self harm: after a number of repetitions, the self harm in the book felt so fucking blasè. Yes we know this character is harming themselves. why the fuck did you feel the need to detail every single tiny detail of it. every. single. time. To what purpose does this serve but to the author's disgusting twisted sense of shock value.
I don't know why i finished this book. I truly don't. I'm reevaluating the last couple days of my life and the use of my free time. Don't read this book. If you're looking for depictions of trauma on a similar scale but with ACTUAL meaning and purpose within a story, just read The Poppy War for christssake.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Biphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Stalking, Torture, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Outing, Body horror, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Fatphobia, Bullying, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Dysphoria, Excrement, Gaslighting, and Gore