Review by litwithlexie - A Little Life

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litwithlexie 's review for:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

It's hard to do a review on this spoiler free due to the depth of this book, but I've tried my best.

I had wanted to read this for quite a while. I'd heard so much about it, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. From the start, the book slowly darkens in tone, and I became uncertain whether I could tolerate the topics as they are incredibly heavy, and the trauma so vivid and unrelenting, I found myself needing to pause and proceed with caution. However the writing was compelling, and emotionally powerful.

This book contains a significant amount of triggering content, and it explores that trauma in graphic, often distressing depth. If you are thinking of reading it, please be aware that topics such as abuse, self-harm, and loss are explored at length and can be emotionally overwhelming. I recommend looking at the triggers warning before diving in, and skipping sections that you don't feel comfortable to read.

Despite all of this, there were moments in the book that were so heartwarming. One that stood out was when Jude is adopted, which is such a tender and precious moment. The dynamic between Harold and Jude was particularly heart-wrenching. Reading from Harold’s perspective, seeing his love and worry for Jude, while Jude struggled to see himself as worthy of love, was a painfully beautiful part of the book.

What I appreciated the most was the way the process of grief, recovery, love and friendship was handled. Life is messy, unpredictable, and painful at times, and this book doesn’t shy away from showing that. Jude's gradual recovery and the complexity of his relationships showed that healing isn’t linear, and the love he receives (even if he can’t always accept it) was something I clung.

I struggled to “enjoy” this book in the traditional sense. Yet I think that’s the point. The book shows a deeply intimate, brutally honest portrait of a man who has survived the unthinkable. Whilst the writing is beautiful, the level of detail, especially when it came to trauma, sometimes felt too much too unrelenting. There were moments I felt helpless and drained, like I had experienced the situations directly.

I wasn’t instantly hooked, it wasn’t until about 300 pages in that I truly began to connect. Once I did, I couldn't let go and became immersed into the plot. By the end, I was so tangled in the story that the ending was truly heartbreaking.

This book lingers. Not because it’s easy to read, but because it’s so intimate and painfully real. It shows how love, friendship, and connection can exist even in the darkest places.

I find myself torn on my rating, somewhere between a 3.75 and 4 stars, not because it isn’t powerfully written. But because the emotional toll is so immense. I appreciated the uplifting moments, and I found the progression of Jude’s life to be realistic in its portrayal of life being unpredictable. At times, it felt like the bad overshadows the good, but that is part of life, sadly. For those who feel ready, I’d recommend reading it to form your own opinion.

Content Warnings