Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

678 reviews

sapphicsav's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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 is the second time I read A Little Life, and yet it was somehow even more devastating and poignant than the first. The prose is captivating and flows effortlessly. Jude, and all of them, are desperately loveable and constantly relatable. The book is perfectly titled. It is, for better or for worse, an arresting chronicle of a whole human life. It is graphic and physically painful to read, but it is worthwhile. We love people and it matters even if it is not enough. Read this book. You will be devastated, but not disappointed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, and Death of parent

kkgarrett's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Something I haven’t seen in the discourse around this book is that it’s about neglect.

Of course explicitly in childhood. Even into adulthood, though, people with the ability to help Jude stop just short of providing adequate mental health services. My hot take is that Andy is a bad doctor!

Also bisexuals exist!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, and Medical content

aclancy974's review against another edition

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

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

I’m going to be thinking about this for a long time. In the best way. Memorable. Soulful. Moving. But please see content warnings, this could be potentially triggering or you may want to prepare to read differently ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, 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, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Islamophobia

caitlin_d89'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Take notes, they will help so much at first. It will say “he did” / “he said” but the POV changes up without notice so knowing the characters will keep you from being confused. Hard book to read since it’s so emotional but such a good read. I felt connected to the characters, almost like a friend by the end so you really feel their feels. Triggers! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Biphobia, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Incest, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

thetinysnail's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

dana_21857's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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 has got to be one of the best books I have ever read. I don't give out 5 stars easily. And almost never for fiction. By ten percent of this book, I knew what I held in my hands. The greatness. The raw, imperfect, human, unfair mirror that this book is. A mirror of life itself. 

A few days ago, I was at 50% then, I heard someone saying they wouldn't ever read this book, because they knew the plot and it's "trauma porn about gay men written by a woman". 

This description infuriates me and makes it so blatantly clear that she didn't know, not really, what this book is about.

I found myself relating to Jude in aspects no one should, yet many of us do.

The way these characters are written they feel so real, so complex, so human, that I checked several times if this really wasn't some kind of auto biography.

The writing is so beautiful, that I now don't dare to call myself a writer because I do not compare to what lies before me in that book. Most authors don't. 

The title couldn't be more fitting. It really is a little life. A life so many of us endure. 

It captures the depth, power and possibilities that human relationships hold beautifully. 

When I find the emotional capacity I'll read it again and annotate it.

Would I recommend this book to everyone? No, definitely not.

To experience this book the way it is meant to, the way I believe I have, is to feel the story without drowning in it.

Someone in the depths of their struggle with trauma, sh, eds or bipolar shouldn't read this.

This book is graphic, emotionally and also about the physical aspects. Just like life is. It doesn't censor. Just like life doesn't.

As someone who has been in therapy for all those topics over the last 6 years, I am shocked at how accurate it depicts mental illness, trauma, specifically dissesociation and cptsd and the addiction that sh provides. 

I feel deeply for Jude, and I see myself in him. Of how my life could've gone and could still go.

This book is as raw, unapologetic and unfair as life is and leaves us, the reader, aching, wondering, unbelieving.

This book is perfect in every way and I will forever be greatful to have experienced it. Looking forward to my second read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

rainreading's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

delilah_reads23's review against another edition

The book feels like a roller coaster, not the one that excites but the one that makes you nauseous. The lows are very low, and the highs are very high, and pretty soon it becomes a predictable pattern. The author claimed she does not believe in therapy, and it shows. Also, just look at the triggers for this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

miekss's review

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a very tough read for its’ content and graphic descriptions. The writing style at times got a bit too descriptive in “filler story” but generally it made me want to keep finding out more and reading on. Jude experienced an enormous extent and frequency of traumatic things that in the second half I became numb to this/stopped being shocked and having an emotional reaction. However I thought the telling of his grief near the end was written so well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Car accident

bookshelfhannah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail