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A review by sarahsbookstats
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
A good mental place is required to read this utterly sad and grim book.
I overall loved the writing, beautifully encasing human relationships among complex personalities, making the characters both endearing and relatable. The back-and-forth among several points of views, times of events, and story paces, is very smoothly done and very engaging to read. However, 500 pages in, I started feeling numb to the newer sad developments, because there had been so much of them already that at some point I just accept it - and even expect it - and it doesn't hit as hard anymore. That was somewhat of a relief.
I overall loved the writing, beautifully encasing human relationships among complex personalities, making the characters both endearing and relatable. The back-and-forth among several points of views, times of events, and story paces, is very smoothly done and very engaging to read. However, 500 pages in, I started feeling numb to the newer sad developments, because there had been so much of them already that at some point I just accept it - and even expect it - and it doesn't hit as hard anymore. That was somewhat of a relief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail