Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

2884 reviews

kelnovak'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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Car accident, and Abandonment

team_worm'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

I was warned. Beautifully written, couldn’t put it down. I don’t regret reading it per se but I will not be recommending it to anyone. I found the characters intensely real, however I feel the author breaks the covenant between reader and writer.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

madaspleen's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

Traumatic and intense, beautifully written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt

charlwheeler's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

Devastatingly sad, beautifully written. I still think about Jude 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Sexual violence

karkei's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Where does one start with this book? 

I can hardly conceive that life can be so harsh to one person. My heart goes out to Jude. He’s a character that you constantly want to protect. How privileged we are that most of us may never truly understand the full depths of what Jude has gone through. 

I will not pretend to be an angel though. There were many points that I got frustrated at Jude, like “Can’t you see how you are hurting the people you love? Can’t you see how much they are doing for you?” But then, I come back to myself and I feel guilty - I’m no better than JB, all self centered and discounting Jude in his entirety. Or maybe worse, because JB doesn’t actually know what happened to Jude and I do 🥲

I like to think that just with the people who love him though, loving someone is taking all of them. I love Jude and I care for him and hence, I wanted him to see himself as worthy and I wanted him to survive and be happy. 

What I originally thought was a story about Jude, however, ends up being a story about Willem. And where do I start with this? 

Willem, you are the most patient, kind, loving character.

I did not see that accident coming and I truly mourned for you.

You gave Jude so much love and were so understanding. Most people couldn’t have done what you did. 

To Harold and Andy, you also have a special place in my heart. 

A Little Life was a book I was scared to pick up because all I heard about it was that it was highly traumatic. While there was trauma, however, this book went way beyond that for me. It is a reminder of how unforgiving but beautiful life can be and how fortunate we should all be for our little lives ❤️ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, 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, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Child death, and Grief

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Car accident

jetti's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

Also wenn du willst, dass dein Herz in hundert Teile zerschmettert wird und immer wieder auf den Teilen rum getrampelt wird, dann ist das Buch vermutlich das richtige für dich.

Grundsätzlich werde diesem Buch keine Sterne Bewertung geben. 

Es ist ein wirklich gutes Buch was aber nichts für schwache Nerven ist. Die sehr genau Beschreibungen von selbstverletzungen sind wirklich nicht für jeden was. Und auch wenn ich das Buch wirklich gut finde, finde ich es schwierig es anderen Leuten weiter zu empfehlen.

Ich möchte keinem Buch eine 4-5 Sterne Bewertung geben, wenn ich Weis wie viele schreckliche Themen angesprochen werden. Ich habe wirklich mehrfach überlegen müssen ob ich das Buch abbrechen soll oder nicht. Jedoch sind mir die Charaktere viel zu sehr ans Herz gewachsen und ich konnte einfach nicht mehr abbrechen. Ich musste wissen wie die Geschichte ausgeht. 
Die detaillierten Beschreibungen von Selbstverleugnung und auch Kindesmisshandlungen haben mich aber auch dazu gebracht, diesen Buch nur eine schriftliche Bewertung zu geben.

Faktisch gesehen ist das Buch wirklich gut. Ich habe alle Charaktere geliebt und vor allem auch das Zusammenspiel aus Vergangenheit und Gegenwart.

Man wird erstmal rein geworfen und Weis erst nicht genau, wer eigentlich der Main Protagonist ist. Bis es dann irgendwann sehr klar wird. Es wird judes Lebensgeschichte erzählt. Von frühester Kindheit bis ins erwachsenen Leben hinein. Und eben auch was ihm alles passiert ist. Und oh jude. Ich habe dich so oft innerlich angeschrien!

Ich hatte mehrfach die Hoffnung, dass du jetzt ENDLICH mit jemanden redest und es dir endlich besser geht. Doch jedes Mal wenn ich Hoffnung hatte, hat das Buch mich weiter zerstört. Der erste Punkt der mich zerbrochen hat, war der mit Caleb. Wie kann jemand wir jude nur an so einen kommen! Dann waren wieder Punkte wo ich dachte ENDLICH gerade als die Beziehung mit Willem begonnen hatte. Und dann kam der Autounfall. Wirklich. Wie oft kann einem das Herz beim lesen eines Buches gebrochen werden? Das war ja schlimmer als bei „Das Lied des Achilles“!
Nach vielen Schwierigkeiten die die beiden in ihrer Beziehung hatten, haben sie endlich einen Kompromiss gefunden, ein Leben wie es funktionieren kann und dann das. Das war der Punkt der jude gebrochen hat und auch mein Herz endgültig! 
Jude ist in dem Buch viel gutes aber auch viel schlimmes widerfahren. Ich habe mich so bei der Adoption von Harold gefreut. Oder auch wie viele Freunde er hatte.

Das am Ende Harold und JD alle überlebt haben war ein schreckliches aber auch passendes Ende. 

Ob ich mir je wieder ein so grausames und gleich schönes Buch anhöre/lese Weis ich nicht.

Ich brauch jetzt erstmal wieder eine schön schnulzige Liebesgeschichte mit Happy End!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide attempt

mochiwaffles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

cerysvy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

mollymccreedy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

It truly is one graphic, violent, awful thing after another in this book, with just enough hope dotted here and there to keep you reading.

This book should not be recommended lightly and people should absolutely be informed of what they're getting into before reading it.

At the time, I thought this was the best novel I had ever read, and I have a deep love and appreciation for that view, but the more I sit with this book and listen to what others have to say, I understand and appreciate how deeply troubling and harmful this book is. I was sobbing every 20 pages (no lie) and it took me MONTHS to get though this. It broke me in so many ways and it took me a long time to pick up another book after finishing this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

I would absolutely not recommend this book to just anyone. Heck, I wouldn't recommend it to 99% of the people I know. I read this book not realizing what it was about and what the author has said about talk therapy. The description of this book is horribly misleading and the more I sit with the knowledge of what I read, the more I realize how deeply upsetting and deeply problematic this book is.

mrgrdsnts's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

I loved the book… but it was very hard for me to read… i had to put it down a lot of times… it’s harsh but i think it has it’s meaning and that it is a good story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Grief