A review by annabunce
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is so sad and so well written and 1800 pages is ridiculous but I don't think anything less than 1400 would have sufficed to actually tell the story in a way that would have been respectful. But I would only recommend this book in RARE occasions. Those occasions being (but not limited to):

1) Someone you know and love is refusing to seek help for trauma and you don't understand

2) If you are a therapist trying to understand trauma (I'd actually strongly recommend this book if that was the case)

3) If you need to have a good cry and think it'll take you 1800 pages to do it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Stalking, Suicide, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Violence, Dysphoria, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Ableism, Drug abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Abandonment and Biphobia