A review by kiymariah
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I will not remember this as a good book at all. #Alittlelife  6/10 at best. Repetitive, cartoonish trauma porn , main characters turned to caricatures to fill plot holes and move the story along to a predictable end. I think I might actually hate this book despite a strong start . JB and Malcom had such potential. But thus is the fate of black characters written by non-black or single minded authors. It's almost cartoonishly wicked how jb becomes the black never do well of the group and Malcolm the half black lackey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail