Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

1091 reviews

silviasala's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

POSSIBILI SPOILER!
Il libro è scritto benissimo. E' una poesia di 700+ pagine, e mi piace molto come il linguaggio e la narrazione si adattino al personaggio: evocativa e colorata per JB, una sorta di lettera per Harold... 
Detto ciò, possiamo passare ai lati negativi:

• Innanzitutto, è altamente irrealistico. I quattro personaggi principali lavorano in campi super competitivi dove è difficilissimo spiccare ma, pensa un po' te, sono tutti super successfull, al top, mega ricchi e rispettati. E poi sono super belli, soprattutto Jude, che è iper mega bellissimo per tutti tranne che ai suoi occhi (-.-")
• Questa "irrealisticità" va a mischiarsi con una pornografia del dolore che è il fil rouge del libro. Per esempio, ad Harold e Liesl muore il figlio, che già di per sé è una situazione iper tragica; ciò non basta però, perché deve morire di un morbo rarissimo che gli fa perdere gradualmente i sensi e la mobilità per trasformarlo in un bambolotto atrofizzato: nella mia modesta opinione, non necessario
• E questi due punti vanno a mischiarsi nella storia di Jude, traumatica e irrealistica alla n e, onestamente, l'unico motivo che mi ha spinto a finire il libro (scoprire il suo "mistero", per essere chiari). E' una storia innegabilmente drammatica, su questo siamo tutti d'accordo; è talmente drammatica da risultare così poco credibile e impedirti di provare empatia per lui. Sto povero cristo per 15 anni viene abusato - sessualmente, fisicamente, psicologicamente - nel peggiore dei modi; riesce a riscattarsi, incontra amici che stanno con lui per la vita, viene adottato. Rinuncia all'intimità di una relazione perché non si sente a suo agio finché non incontra Caleb, che, pensa un po' te, lo abusa andando a toccare tutti i suoi nervi scoperti: assolutamente poco credibile. Non penso di essere una persona poco empatica, ma mi sono trovata a metà libro a sperare che Jude finalmente morisse, per togliere il peso a tutti i poveri cristi che aveva intorno
• Infine, una nota un po' petty: cosa spinge una donna a scrivere un libro dove la presenza femminile è relegata ai margini?

Penso che sia chiaro che, PER ME, questo libro è una perdita di tempo, che ti chiede molto più di ciò che alla fine ti dà indietro.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Medical content, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide

maisieme123's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

beautiful writing and character building, however did seem to drag but some could argue the detail was necessary. extremely tragic but is that much trauma realistic for one person?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Trafficking, Child abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Grief, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Addiction, Blood, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Body shaming, Child death, Emotional abuse, Car accident, and Death of parent

jrep09's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Child abuse, and Self harm

minimimi's review against another edition

Grotesque trauma porn for the hetero author’s gays—goes far beyond the “Kill your gays” troupe. Technically, this book is horrendous and the editor should think twice about their career.
DONT FALL INTO SUNKEN COST FALLACY JUST BECAUSE THE BOOK IS LONG DOESNT MEAN YOUR REDEMPTION OR CATHARSIS IS COMING—because it’s not. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Addiction, Rape, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Mental illness, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Drug use, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cursing, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Outing, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse

esmeheath's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, and Child abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Drug use, Addiction, and Drug abuse

ibjilln's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

0.25

No. Fuck this book. 
If you're looking to read this, don't. 
It is nothing but gratuitous misery porn. 
It is not a book about friendship - it is a book about enablers and people taking advantage of one another. 
The characters do not grow, or develop, but instead are simple "plot" devices to keep the pages going and they hash out the same problem over and over again. It's hard to feel anything for them when they do nothing to help themselves/their situation. 
It's 700 pages of Jude unwilling to face reality that he's been horribly mistreated by nearly every one in his world, including his "friends", and in turn mistreating those that do care.

Spoiler

Jude could've saved himself, and us, the pain by ending it 700 pages sooner or fucking accepting help and going to therapy

.
Once again, no. Fuck this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Vomit, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, and Eating disorder

Dead dove; do not eat

luce98's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

One of the hardest reads I’ve ever completed. So sad and filled with trauma.
The characters are so well fleshed out. I feel like I know them as friends. 
Jude St Francis will stay will me for a very very long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Blood, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Gore, Grief, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

baggy_taster'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Grief, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Child death, Gaslighting, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Vomit, and Ableism

xiumillion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

This book is probably the most masochistic thing I've ever put myself through. It hurts to even think about it, so I'm not going to. Overall, beautiful story and beautiful writing. The cons are that it pretty much is torture p*rn like everyone says it is, at some points unrealistically so, and the timeline of the book is very hard to follow. I enjoy dark stories and I think they should be written, even if for no other purpose than to be dark. I do think this book took it a bit too far though. That aspect aside, it truly is an incredible book, and I already miss the characters dearly.

Please check trigger warnings before you read this book. If you have a trigger, it is probably in here 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Ableism, Car accident, Confinement, Eating disorder, Addiction, Gore, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Suicide

mareikeeve's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Grief, Pedophilia, Violence, Vomit, Chronic illness, Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Addiction, Car accident, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, and Child death