A review by cari_
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

dark emotional 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

3.75

This is a wonderfully written book about terrible things. It's characters are rich and explored deeply enough for readers to develop a strong connection to them, which makes the terrible things worse. There are people who I would never recommend this book to, and I would suggest looking up content warnings before delving in if you are prone to triggers. It is not without flaws, but it affected me deeply (for better or worse).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Death, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Rape, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Body shaming

Minor: Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Infidelity, Abandonment, and Kidnapping