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honipoems's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Self harm, Rape, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Pedophilia
mixty's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Medical content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Body horror, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Mental illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Trafficking, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
suebug's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Rape, Violence, Eating disorder, Medical content, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Kidnapping, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Homophobia and Sexism
turningpagesmm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I read A little Alice with Molly from @twoliterateladies as a buddy read (hence the post it’s). When we finished I wrote a review which will be very different from this one, after some reflection and research, in re-doing it.
First of all, thank goodness for Molly, I don’t think either of us realise how lucky we were to be reading this with someone else.
I didn’t like this book, in fact I hated it and I don’t say that lightly. The few redeeming qualities weren’t nearly enough to bring it around. If I knew the utter devastation I would feel after reading each part, I wouldn’t have picked it up.
A few graphic scenes in this book made me physically sick and I think it went way too far. After some research into the author I can see that I am not the only one who feels that Yanagihara went too far when it came to the treatment of her gay characters, it was almost torturous.
I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t recommend this book. I think my brain has started blocking it out and has decided that I won’t be retaining any of this book as I am already forgetting it.
Jude, Willem and Harold- you have my heart but I’m sorry, you weren’t enough to redeem this book for me.
I saw this book everywhere so I can’t help but think that I might be in the minority here but my last review, is just wrong now.
What can I say about this book?
This won’t be a long reviews because I am emotionally drained but I wanted to write it while it was still fresh.
The way this book is written is honestly phenomenal, the love I had for these characters was so real, I laughed, I cried and hurt with them.
Please before reading be aware of your triggers, this has been on my TBR for years but I wasn’t brave enough to start it, luckily Molly @twoliterateladies felt the same so we started a buddy read. Though I raced ahead at one point because I needed it to be over. I couldn’t focus on any other book, I had a pit of anticipation and dread it my stomach and I just needed it be over. I 100% recommended reading at the same time as a friend because by the end I was very emotionally unstable.
My history of grief from losing my dad a couple of years ago played a huge part in my reaction to A Little Life so I would recommend reading triggers warning and tread carefully because crying to the point of having a panic attack and throwing up is not it (learn from my mistake).
Overall, I’m glad I read it and I’m glad I didn’t miss out on these stories. Multiple times I had to remind myself that it was not real, it is a work of fiction and a work of art at that.
Possible spoiler below!!!!!
Bad news- this book is devastating.
Good news- I am content with the ending and after I actually stopped reading the book I was able to calm down and stop thinking about it.
I know there have been talks of a TV series/movie and there is a stage show but I can never revisit this book again.
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
kolbiet's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Rape, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Violence, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Child death, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Eating disorder
alaskanfae's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Car accident, Bullying, Alcoholism, Addiction, Body horror, Sexual violence, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Torture, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Pedophilia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Death, Body shaming, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Chronic illness
avenevs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Drug use, Racism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicide, Child death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Car accident, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
nancykz'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Medical content, Violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Abandonment, Car accident, Death, and Death of parent
cecifeli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Don’t get me wrong (i’m not heartless), sometimes it was tender and sweet. It was just a lot to handle and it seemed like a very unrealistic, deranged situation. (I know it’s fiction, and I know it’s purpose is not to reflect real life. But the trauma upon trauma upon trauma, made me detached from the story, and it felt at times I was reading a telenovela.)
Amazing writing and pacing. A real page turner even though sometimes you were so heartbroken that the last you’d wanna do is find out what happens next. Fully fledged characters and a slow steady pace. Yanagihara is a very talented writer. I read it in 3 days.
I didn’t like it. I didn’t cry (not that that matters). Not for the faint hearted though. Made me reflect. Sometimes I think it’s decent, sometimes I thinks it’s torture porn (this is up for the readers interpretation). Idk if I’ll read more from her.
PS By unrealistic i mean this:
Idk how to feel abt Jude’s entourage, I think they should’ve pushed harder into therapy and hospitals and help in general. This is my bone to pick w the author. But hell, what do I know?
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Abortion
lotties_corner's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
This book has completely changed how I look at the random stranger that passes me on the street, how I see the reflection that stares back at me through the mirror, how I approach my own life and how it will impact other people.
A Little Life follows a group of four friends, not always chronologically, from childhood through to adulthood with a remarkable account of their trials, joys, relationships, and humanity
Yanagihara created characters so real you feel yourself attempting to reach through the page, trying to turn your own hand into ink if only to offer them a second of comfort. You see your own flaws in all of them, in wanting so desperately to help them fix themselves, you become determined to fix yourself.
Malcom, the wallflower, the one whose kindness you cannot truly see until the end. He taught me to look at everything you can with how it may influence others in ways that you may never experience or comprehend.
JB, so flawed and yet so real. I found it so easy to be critical of him, to see his flaws despite sharing so many of them (although, I know, not to the same extent).
Willem. It is impossible, I think, to read A Little Life and not fall in love with Willem. Willem who cares so deeply and loves so freely. He is so selfless despite his hyper fixations on his own shortcomings. His obsession with how he could have done better pained me so much as I could only see all the good he had done for those around him. If he still thought that wasn’t enough, surely nothing is?
Then Jude. Jude who was so brilliant but so weighed down. The kind of person who life is so much heavier for, who has been through so much and yet cannot recognise his own incredible strength.
MAJOR SPOILERS FROM NOW ON:
But Willem. Willem’s death broke me. It came completely out of nowhere for me and I genuinely cried out when I read it. Jude was not made to live a life without Willem, that was my immediate thought. But was Willem capable of living a life without Jude? He had lost Hemming, he had spent years untangling Jude, working his way into his life and building trust, becoming the only person Jude could ever completely bare himself to. I don’t think he would have survived Jude’s suicide, he would have become a shell of the man he once was. So I share Harold and Andy’s pined comfort, that at least Willem wasn’t around to see it.
The car crash was devastating. So much so that I actually can’t record some of the thoughts I had when I read it. But it was what followed that broke me. Watching the grief take hold of Jude, watching him lose his grip on reality and the only other relationships he valued, that was near unbearable and yet I couldn’t put it down.
The final part being told from Harold’s pov made so much sense but was also so painful (like basically every other moment of this book). Harold’s pain was so greatly under looked, he lost Jacob and then he found Jude, only to lose him too. No parent should outlive their child, yet he outlived both.
Speaking of underrated characters, Andy - so incredibly beautifully written and such a complex and compelling character.
Anyway, I won’t ever be able to fully articulate how incredible A Little Life is, partially because I found so much of my own pain and experiences in the pages (although, of course not to nearly the same extremes) but it is genuinely the most impactful book I’ve ever read. However I cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone as it is such an emotionally difficult read. My only advice would be to make sure you’re in a mentally stable place before reading, and have a lot of tissues on hand (unless you’re more used to the open sobbing on a bathroom floor route, which I also respect and was my chosen route).
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Abandonment, Car accident, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Vomit, Trafficking, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
Warning: This book is incredibly dark and goes into great detail about mental illness, trauma and child abuse.