Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

633 reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

tessa_eliza's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

This was quite possibly the saddest book I’ve ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Rape, Ableism, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Addiction

Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse

fpcat99'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Body shaming, Grief, Pedophilia, Medical content, Bullying, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Vomit, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Rape, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexual content, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Torture, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence

m_d00lz's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Blood, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Vomit, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Rape

ashlynregan's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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 is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful novels I have ever read. Treat it with reverence, if not caution. It is not for everyone, but if you’re like me then you will never be able to stop thinking about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Cursing, Drug use, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Torture, Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Car accident, Addiction, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Rape, Infidelity, Abandonment, Gore, Medical content, Self harm, and Suicide

sirensreviews's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. After finishing it, I struggled to read other books because nothing compared to how well written and complex this story is. I truly think about this book every single day. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Torture, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Grief, Addiction, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Incest, Sexual content, Self harm, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Rape, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

This is the saddest book that you will ever read. It never gets better and I do not recommend reading it quickly because it is alot to take in.