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A review by leahhateshardbacks
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
God... what to say? I purposefully hadn't picked this book up for about 3 years because I was scared by everyone's reviews and genuinely thought reading it would send me into a breakdown. (If you have any triggers, it's probably best not to read this, it really is a Pokémon gotta catch em all situation.) But I'm glad to report that while this is an incredibly sad story, it also focuses on love, friendship, and trickier emotions like jealousy and anger.
•••
This is about so much, it would be impossible to summarise effectively in a mere few paragraphs, but I would say at its heart it's about trauma and healing. Sometimes it's happy, sometimes it's sad, and sometimes it's horrifically disturbing. It's about the never-ending aftershocks of trauma, their (irreversible?) influence, and what this looks like both emotionally and physically. I found it quite philosophical, and throughout was offered a handful of events/choices/opinions which made me think in a way I never have before. There are lots of complex and complicated emotions and concepts in here - loving someone without understanding them, the sometimes utter incorrectness of self-worth (both ways), and what friendship and loyalty means.
•••
My life will feel a little bit emptier over the next coming days - I've dedicated a lot of time to these characters over the last week or so and I am sad to have to say goodbye to them. Shout out my man Andy I think he was my fav.
•••
This is about so much, it would be impossible to summarise effectively in a mere few paragraphs, but I would say at its heart it's about trauma and healing. Sometimes it's happy, sometimes it's sad, and sometimes it's horrifically disturbing. It's about the never-ending aftershocks of trauma, their (irreversible?) influence, and what this looks like both emotionally and physically. I found it quite philosophical, and throughout was offered a handful of events/choices/opinions which made me think in a way I never have before. There are lots of complex and complicated emotions and concepts in here - loving someone without understanding them, the sometimes utter incorrectness of self-worth (both ways), and what friendship and loyalty means.
•••
My life will feel a little bit emptier over the next coming days - I've dedicated a lot of time to these characters over the last week or so and I am sad to have to say goodbye to them. Shout out my man Andy I think he was my fav.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Self harm
Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, and Sexism