Scan barcode
catherinerowland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Car accident, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Ableism, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pedophilia, Suicide, Self harm, and Toxic relationship
kavelrao's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
That said, the writing is beautiful, and I have never been so invested in characters from a book. I wanted so badly for things to go well even as I slowly realized the inevitable direction the story was heading. The fact that I not only kept going but looked forward to reading more despite the depressing plot is a testament to its brilliance.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Sexual violence
rowy148'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
4.75
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Blood, Physical abuse, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Car accident, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Drug abuse, and Ableism
brennsteez'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
Graphic: Child abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, and Domestic abuse
ottolee's review against another edition
Plain and simple, this novel is an exercise in endurance, not simply because it is incredibly long, but because Hanya Yanagihara seems to be into repeatedly and brutally abusing her main character and forcing the reader to witness the almost comical lengths to which she chooses to hurt him. There are increasingly infrequent sections of the novel breaking up the increasingly frequent and drawn out depictions of physical and violence against an ambiguously gay, ambiguously ethnic, disabled man.
This is what causes the book to be as long as it is; it is the literary equivalent of Yanagihara strapping the reader to a table and drawing increasingly large quantities of blood out of them to see what they can stand, giving them cookies and Gatorade in between each draw just so the next one can be bigger. The reader hopes that, at some point, she will get what she came for, finish the experiment and give you back what you gave up. But she doesn't. She just wants to watch you bleed.
I think Yanagihara explains herself best.
"I wanted A Little Life... to begin healthy (or appear so), and end sick — both the main character, Jude, and the plot itself." (https://www.vulture.com/2015/04/how-hanya-yanagihara-wrote-a-little-life.html#_ga=2.58977709.1601876994.1578809567-1295422479.1578809567)
And so it does. And I, personally want to vomit.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Addiction, Rape, Self harm, Ableism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Death
faeee's review against another edition
- 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? N/A
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
k_j_reads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Rape, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Infidelity, Eating disorder, Car accident, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Addiction
ghostpuppy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Self harm, Sexual violence, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Grief, Terminal illness, Addiction, Mental illness, Torture, Trafficking, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
megandirks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Violence, Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Rape
ophalen's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Blood, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, Torture, Body shaming, Self harm, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Body horror, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit