jdraindavis 's review for:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A piece of literature that completely devastes and enraptures. The detail in which you are thrust into the innermost traumas and struggles of the characters is unmatched. I will be processing this story for a long, long time. Exploring the themes of catastrophic grief, you are not given relief in this book. Be prepared to weep. I found myself getting frustrated with some of the plot when it focuses on the mundane, but then a tragic event would occur that would tie everything into the quotidian experiences. It was alike living another life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail