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A review by kamin8882
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Things get broken, and sometimes they get repaired, and I most cause, you realize that no matter what gets damaged, life rearranges itself to compensate for your loss, sometimes wonderfully... love Harold."
TRIGGERS!!! This book has a long long list of triggers so please look them before reading !!
This book was the most heartbreakingly beautiful book I've ever read. I have never felt more connected and invested with a character as I did with the ones in this book. Although this is a book about the lives of 4 friends-- to me it was more focused on Jude-- his past, his trauma, his relationships-- and how they effected not only himself, but everyone around him. I felt like I was right there, experiencing their joy, pain, fear, sadness, love. Jude, and all the ones who loved him and held him together will always be with me. There were times when I was so angry and scared I had to stop reading, only to need to pick it up again to make sure they were ok. There were also times where I was so relieved and happy, that I found myself crying tears of joy. The pain felt in this book is real... but the love and compassion is also very real. I am so thankful I read this, but also thankful the pain is over.
(I also highly recommend listening to this on audio WHILE you read. It really helped with the heavy topics and the narrator, Oliver Wyman, did such an amazing job)
"and so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him."
TRIGGERS!!! This book has a long long list of triggers so please look them before reading !!
This book was the most heartbreakingly beautiful book I've ever read. I have never felt more connected and invested with a character as I did with the ones in this book. Although this is a book about the lives of 4 friends-- to me it was more focused on Jude-- his past, his trauma, his relationships-- and how they effected not only himself, but everyone around him. I felt like I was right there, experiencing their joy, pain, fear, sadness, love. Jude, and all the ones who loved him and held him together will always be with me. There were times when I was so angry and scared I had to stop reading, only to need to pick it up again to make sure they were ok. There were also times where I was so relieved and happy, that I found myself crying tears of joy. The pain felt in this book is real... but the love and compassion is also very real. I am so thankful I read this, but also thankful the pain is over.
(I also highly recommend listening to this on audio WHILE you read. It really helped with the heavy topics and the narrator, Oliver Wyman, did such an amazing job)
"and so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail