A review by aaliyahdreads
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

My feelings for this book are truly complex. I cried, laughed, and morned with these characters as the author guides us though their lives. I can not say I enjoyed this book in the way that I would about others. I appreciated the writing and storytelling but was also deeply affected by the contents of this book despite reading the long list of trigger warnings associated with it. I truly felt disgusting at some points as I read, often having to close the book and pick it back up at a later time. I don’t know if I can necessarily recommended this book in good faith however I do not regret reading it. It is something truly rare to be affected this greatly by literature and there is space and praise to be given for the feat. For all the reasons explained previously, I can’t help but feel quite torn as I write this review. 
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