Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

1256 reviews

clarkkaris's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book is excessively graphic and explores, in troubling detail, triggering topics like sexual abuse, self-injury, and domestic violence. The author seems obsessed with pain and suffering, painting a near-romanticized picture of trauma. Rather than developing her characters and writing a legitimate plot, Yanagihara uses random violence to attempt to evoke emotion from readers. While the characters themselves and their stories are compelling, the extremely unnecessary level of detail and romanticism surrounding sexual trauma makes this book a sickening read.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

beau_b_reading's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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God, this book was something. I don't think I could've read this earlier, but now was a right time. I think it was good for me. It's intense, emotional and very grim. Most of it feels futile, but you keep reading for the fleeting happy moments. I wouldn't dare to say it scarred me, but I'm willing to say it opened, or rather freed, something in me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug 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, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Excrement, Acephobia/Arophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Biphobia, Cancer, Homophobia, Racism

ast106's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident

tanisha188's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism

spaanhede's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

bookish2024's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Not for the faint of heart. This book is very, very well written, but the depression you experience after it is real.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Death of parent

goodolnicole's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, Blood

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content

brewedbiblio's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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the writing is beautiful. 
although it’s an 800 page book, the change in characters and timelines makes it flow beautifully. 

can’t say i’ll ever recommend this book to anyone because the level of description can feel like you’re experiencing it.

it will impact you, be wary of the trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt

miri_ktz's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug 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, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

vwlv's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide