Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Een klein leven by Hanya Yanagihara

2800 reviews

luciaeve's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

biatar's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It is incredibly graphic at times but overall was beautifully written with characters you want the best for throughout. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

annieisi's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence

rantsandreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

A Little Life is a deeply haunting novel, filled with wounded characters, stunning prose and an unforgiving story that digs into your heart like a weight you can't shake. It mirrors the relentless battle of living with PTSD, depression, dysmorphia, and suicidal ideation, the feeling of carrying a pain so profound that each day is a fight to simply exist. While my own struggles seem small compared to Jude’s, I connected with the way this novel portrays a life marked by what feels like constant suffering.

The story follows Jude and his friends, focusing on his unbearable trauma and the deep wounds left behind by his past. Jude’s life is filled with horrors that feel insurmountable, and yet, there are moments of friendship and love that remind us of the fleeting happiness that can make the pain worth enduring. Still, like in life, the fight to overcome your demons isn’t always a battle that can be won.

What moved me the most was the perspective of parental figures near the end, an exquisitely painful reminder of the weight of care and loss. It was both devastating and beautiful, leaving me emotionally drained but appreciative of the journey. I cried—oh how I cried for nearly everyone through out this nearly impossible to read story. I had to continuously remind myself that it was fictional. 

I am happy to have finished this book, but its impact will stay with me. Some stories imprint themselves onto your soul, and this one is unforgettable, much like the shadows we all carry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

rachel_emily22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

leiloooni's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

jesus christ on earth 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

cturn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Characters - 9
Atmosphere - 6
Writing - 9
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 7
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 7
CAWPILE score - 7.9

Sad is an understatement for this book. Its hard to rate such a sad book for enjoyment lol. I see what people mean when they call it trauma porn but I don't see it as quite that. However I found that as a reader, the effect of each revelation of Jude's past was less and less each reveal, as if I was desensitised to it as more was revealed. I particularly enjoyed when characters were introspective and reflecting on their actions and both positives and negatives of their own personality, when they knew they were being irrational, etc - I think those were my favourite parts to read about. I didn't sob over this book like you see a lot of people on tiktok doing, but I did cry at the end and I will think about this story, these characters that we got to know so well, for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit and Abandonment

emilyg433's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

ojmoores's review against another edition

The story seemed to really harp on Jude’s pain. It got to a point where so many horrible awful things were happening to him, and I just didn’t want to read about it anymore. I actually got kind of mad at the author for making me read such horrific things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

sparker16's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Child death, Sexual violence, and Violence