A review by emklem
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

This book was so heavy. It was overwhelming, relentless, and devastating. At times, I wondered if the author was just adding more trauma for the hell of it. I didn't see how things could keep getting worse and worse and never seem to resolve.

However, these characters continued to do the best they could with what they had. Watching them learn to trust each other again and again, watching relationships rupture and repair, watching them choose each other was really what kept me reading this book. 

Yanagihara switches POVs often without explicitly telling the reader who the chapter/section is focusing on, which requires the readers to really get to know each character, and, at times, be okay with not knowing (yet)who is being described.

I think this is a book that I'll come back to and notice something different, or have a different takeaway, or connect with differently in different stages of my life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting

Minor: Child death