Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

6 reviews

monserrot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kirsty_irwin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Incest, Miscarriage, Dementia, Car accident, and Outing

l_b_buder's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

The prose is masterful and you will fall in love with characters. Yanagihara does not shy away from difficult trauma or coping skills that are varying degrees of successful. This is the most upsetting book you may ever read in your life. Warrants just about every trigger warning you can think of. Goes too far at times in my opinion, while at other times touching on difficult realities that lots of people and authors ignore too often. Pick this book up if you have a strong stomach and are looking for a hard hitting literary experience. Don't pick it up if you're looking for queer romance or feel good found family.

There are aspects of Jude and Willem's relationship in later chapters that I think served only to make the book more upsetting to read and therefore was presumably added for shock value, without necessarily adding anything to the narrative. Though, that same argument can be used for half of the content in the book. If we're operating under the assumption that the value in the book is that it demonstrates that lots of lives don't start or end with happiness, sure. But after so many pages of absolutely harrowing tragedy, the ending felt nothing but horrible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

If you don't like to be upset in any severe way by what you read, don't read this book. Everybody I know who has read it, myself included, cried in a bad way and/or had a panic attack. And don't go in expecting a happy ending.

kersley's review against another edition

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

leahkyraah's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Beautifully devastating. This book will crush your heart to pieces with each unnecessary apology or

swipe of a razor blade

yet it is still heartwarmingly radiant of love at some parts . It is masterfully written and immersive although slow paced. Please check content warnings before reading. This book has honestly changed my life 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment

slimy's review against another edition

Beautiful syntax, but I had to stop reading because I knew where it was going. Most depressing thing I’ve ever read. Put me in a reading slump for about a month.

Gorgeous character development, immaculately complex and REAL.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Extreme self-harm, intrusive thoughts, suicide, depression, eating disorder