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madisone'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: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Lesbophobia
besotted's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Deadnaming, Vomit, and Classism
sophietheonion'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
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
decayfyo'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
i love this book. this book is my baby. if this book was a person i don't think i'd marry it but i'd give it a big hug though. i love everything about this book and yanagihara's writing style in general, her books are so so long don't get me wrong but everything builds up and in my opinion every last page was worth reading. but please for the love of god read the trigger warnings before reading lol this shit is literally THE challenging book
4th read:
this book got me fucked up tbh. teared up at several parts on the book. i love everything about it, the writing, the characters. genuinely my favorite book of all time, its so dear to me for so many reasons
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug abuse, Rape, Suicide, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
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
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
caitlynhm'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
sleepdepr1vat1on's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia