Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

2833 reviews

stephanie_grace's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

paris_nicole's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

I really loved this book. It is dark, deep and heavy. There is criticism over the amount of trauma portrayed and that the author is profiting off of tragedy, but I never had that sense. She sought out to write a book about how damaged people can be, sometimes to the point of no return.

The book is loooong (my version was over 800 pages), but it never felt like it was dragging. It is a very drawn out story, but the author's writing keeps you captivated. 

There are many, many trigger warnings. For that reason, I will be cautious when recommending this to others. 

I'm giving it 5 stars because I know I will never forget these characters and their stories, especially Jude. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

hbright's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Devastatingly sad. An emotional rollercoaster as you follow a group of friends throughout their life and jump between their early years. I both wanted it to learn more and for it to end and the characters have peace. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse

astha_shah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Written beautifully. Hard to get through, but worth it. Laughed and gasped out loud. Felt so deeply for all of those characters. You see things coming, and they still break your heart.

Read the trigger warnings for this book before you decide to pick it up. Only you know what you've been through and if it's something you can handle. Don't take it lightly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide and Injury/Injury detail

malin11's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

kati_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Car accident

srkennedy1218's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

syd91201's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

freysiercrane's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

2.0

I’m such a hater of this book (but someone needs to be!!!) IMO it’s just trauma porn.
I’m not at all squeamish about the issues it addresses. I just don’t think you need to compile ALL forms of abuse/trauma into one character to address them. Everything was so unrealistic - how wonderful and perfect Willem is, how magnificent all their careers were, how unbelievably terrible Jude’s suffering is - that I don’t think it’s a meaningful take on the human experience at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

gabrielaclarke'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail