A review by jdraindavis
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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