A review by rachelleio
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.0

I find this book hard to rate. On one hand the writing is beautiful, the prose undeniably grips you and certain passages will stick with me forever. On the other hand, this book is tedious in its misery. Chapters are endless, internal monologues span several pages, you are fully entrenched as a reader into a litany of trauma, darkness and pain. I don’t know if the message or the way that the lead character views himself is necessarily helpful to those who have endured similar horrors, and the lack of light and hope in the book left me feeling hollow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Addiction and Drug use