A review by achilles_heel
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

i started this book thinking that the people i've seen crying on tiktok while reading it were just overdramatic and that it can't be more devastating than the average hungarian classic. i was SO wrong. i only cried once, toward the ending, but there were quite a few times i had to close the book and just breathe. once i even had to take a walk, i was so upset that so many terrible things should happen to someone so undeserving of them. i can't even properly articulate my thoughts about this book because i've never read anything that made me feel this much. even now that i'm writing this i have a lump in my throat. and it may be a bit strange to say this, but i really do wish it was longer. i don't think i've ever "met" characters i loved so much.