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emmacartlidge's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Transphobia, Stalking, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
cloud_animals's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Trafficking
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Infertility, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
jesstafson's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
rear's review against another edition
- 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
Beautifully written, I loved seeing the characters evolve and live their lives despite the hardships.
It showcased everything, from the happiness to the struggles of Jude and his friends. The relationships were realistic and added to the depth of the story.
Very difficult to read nonetheless.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Transphobia
ninireads_03's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
julianxiv's review against another edition
- 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
as i am writing this review, my cheeks are still stiff with tears, my nose is still running a little. i have never been so hurt by any piece of media ever before, and i am both relieved that it's over and wish it was longer still.
i am relieved that it's over because i cannot stand to see these characters in any more pain. over the course of these 700 pages, i've come to love them as if they were my own friends in my own real life, rather than characters on pages. hanya yanagihara is so incredibly talented, has such a way with words, and she makes you love, or at least like, every character at one point or another. Spoiler except you caleb. fuck caleb. always had a bad feeling about caleb
yanagihara is also so good at making you love a character in one chapter, and hate them in the next. looking at you, jb. most of the characters are pieces of shit at one point or another, but you always know why. you are always presented with a reason they are acting a certain way.
currently, i'm sitting here wondering what to write next, because i have thoughts i just can't articulate. a little life is the most profoundly sad and beautiful thing i have ever consumed, in every possible way. the writing, the meaning, the relationships between the characters: all of it will be occupying my mind for a long time to come. the way the characters interact (jude with willem, harold and andy in particular) seems so natural, so real.
yanagihara writes in a way that makes you feel exactly the emotions the characters are feeling, you can feel their every high, low and everything in between. when jude felt something, i felt it too; when willem felt something, i felt it too; when harold felt something; you bet i felt that as well. even though none of these characters are all that relatable for me, they are written in such a way that you can understand them perfectly, even if you haven't gone through the things they have.
even though i have and will continue singing this book's praises, it's not something i would ever recommend to anyone. its not something i think should be going around platforms like tiktok, where people who might not be ready for it will come across it being recommended to them. it's not something that should be displayed on booktok tables in bookstores. the book deals with so many heavy and traumatic topics that if you are planning on picking it up, read the trigger warning list, and read it carefully. it's something you need to be ready for. you need to be in the right place emotionally in order to enjoy it.
i have feelings about this book that i can't put into words, it has hurt me and joyed me in ways i simply cannot describe. i'm not the best book critic around, but i would say this book is worthy of the title "masterpiece."
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism and Lesbophobia
Minor: Transphobia
sophiali07's review against another edition
- 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
1.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Transphobia
gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
- The fatphobia: this book constantly ridicules fat persons, both in the language that is used to craft their existence, or in the way that these characters are treated by others (see: JB).
- The transphobia: in one scene, a side character is having, what is presumed to be, a transitioning party. At no point within the text does the author nor the characters switch their use of pronouns after learning this.
- The friendships: I've heard people talk MANY times about how this book is such a good marker of friendship. It is not. The friendships in this book are unhealthy, borderline abusive. The characters hold their friends on pedestals, refusing to see any flaws from their friends. The OTHER OPTION is that the characters view their friends suffering and flat out, selfishly refuse to see past it, as if nothing is wrong.
- The depiction of queer relationships: Yanagihara disgusts me. The constant depiction of MLM relationships as something "wrong", as something "disgusting" eventually culminating to Queer tragedy felt so utterly wrong. She did not handle Queer issues with any grace, instead choosing to force trauma upon trauma upon Queer characters
- The trauma: at a certain point in the book, I started to roll my eyes at the amount that Jude suffered. Not because he deserved it, but because each time the reader thinks things might get to a place that is okay, Yanagihara thrusts something in the readers faces, as if to say "NO! LOOK! LOOK! ACTUALLY IT"S JUST BAD!" I don't fucking care that she intended this book to be a reflection of cherishing life's happy moments. What came across was horrendous.
- The self harm: after a number of repetitions, the self harm in the book felt so fucking blasè. Yes we know this character is harming themselves. why the fuck did you feel the need to detail every single tiny detail of it. every. single. time. To what purpose does this serve but to the author's disgusting twisted sense of shock value.
I don't know why i finished this book. I truly don't. I'm reevaluating the last couple days of my life and the use of my free time. Don't read this book. If you're looking for depictions of trauma on a similar scale but with ACTUAL meaning and purpose within a story, just read The Poppy War for christssake.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
viireads's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
litah's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism