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A review by mandaoof
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It is 11:43 at night, and I just finished this book, and y'all I wanted to throw this book. In the good way.
The book is made up of three books really, with the same main characters appearing with some new ones occasionally appearing. Seeing the same characters in different contexts, how their environment changed them (nature vs nurture!), how their relationships changed as they changed with the same characters.
I will be honest- I did not like the first part at all. The entire time I was thinking the main character David is a complete idiot and someone I very much would like to smack. I blame the romantic angst- I don't like romantic plots in the first place. But in my defense, the character had a pretty damn severe reaction to being ghosted. It was bad enough that I was making plans to give my copy of the book to a friend because I was thinking there was no way I would want to reread this.
The second book was the start of forgiveness for me, the start of 'oh, I think I actually like this'. I fell quickly in the world of discussion of the impacts of colonialism, of culture identity, of toxic friendships, of the impacts of being a child who had to be a caretaker of a parent. The parts of the impacts of the AIDs epidemic, to the ones who saw it start to the ones who came into adulthood with it already a known factor, was really interesting.
But the third book? I could barely put it down. The world building, the emotional language of the letters, the way things started falling together- and the *fucking cliffhanger*- I wanted to scream. And cry.
When I am able to, I will absolutely be rereading the second and third book, to catch the tiny details better this time, to take the time to enjoy it knowing what will happen.
The book is made up of three books really, with the same main characters appearing with some new ones occasionally appearing. Seeing the same characters in different contexts, how their environment changed them (nature vs nurture!), how their relationships changed as they changed with the same characters.
I will be honest- I did not like the first part at all. The entire time I was thinking the main character David is a complete idiot and someone I very much would like to smack. I blame the romantic angst- I don't like romantic plots in the first place. But in my defense, the character had a pretty damn severe reaction to being ghosted. It was bad enough that I was making plans to give my copy of the book to a friend because I was thinking there was no way I would want to reread this.
The second book was the start of forgiveness for me, the start of 'oh, I think I actually like this'. I fell quickly in the world of discussion of the impacts of colonialism, of culture identity, of toxic friendships, of the impacts of being a child who had to be a caretaker of a parent. The parts of the impacts of the AIDs epidemic, to the ones who saw it start to the ones who came into adulthood with it already a known factor, was really interesting.
But the third book? I could barely put it down. The world building, the emotional language of the letters, the way things started falling together- and the *fucking cliffhanger*- I wanted to scream. And cry.
When I am able to, I will absolutely be rereading the second and third book, to catch the tiny details better this time, to take the time to enjoy it knowing what will happen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual assault