Review by booksandbrainsquirrels - A Little Life

booksandbrainsquirrels 's review for:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

4.5

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A Little Life is one of those books that everyone needs to read, but I also hate that I had to read it. The writing style is addictive, powerful, and tells the story beautifully. I was initially intimidated by the length; however, it became clear quickly that the slow pacing is essential to the development and gaining investment in Jude’s history. It doesn’t take long to fall in love with the characters, which makes it all the harder to watch them go through everything they encounter. In the beginning, it’s a little tricky to keep track of all the characters and how they are connected; however, once Jude’s story begins developing, everything comes together nicely, and all the side characters’ roles become clear. The pace is slow and the book is long, but so infuriatingly worth it.

I was much more invested in Jude and Willem’s perspectives than JB and Malcolm’s; they felt more like side characters than essential to the plot arc. I really enjoyed Harold’s perspective and hearing the story being told through his voice as the story developed.

The parallel of Harold and the son he’d lost and his relationship with Jude was beautiful.

I loved the blend of flashback and present-day scenes, and it was much more effective to hear Jude’s story this way than if he were simply relaying his trauma to someone. On occasion, it was difficult to tell when the timeline had shifted; it wasn’t a natural chapter break, which I might have preferred. (I’m not a huge fan of super-long chapters!) The trauma was devastating but painfully realistic and eye-opening.

Lengthy, heavy, and difficult. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before you read, but it is so incredibly worth the time.

Content Warnings