Reviews tagging 'Death'

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

39 reviews

mandi_lea's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

 A colossus that I think only Hanya Yanagihara could give us. A Little Life's strongest quality is the way it champions friendship and its complexities, but in To Paradise, she presents friendship as both necessary and a salvation while fickle and inconsistent. Her characters either can't decide if they believe in people, or their actions show that how we connect with and cherish people are all we have in common. The threads through the stories are that of love and its contours. We have romance, delusion, and disease. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

diana_35's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Terminal illness, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Rape

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Another sadly beautiful book, it is it a beautifully sad book?, by Hanya Yanagihara. Haunting. It’ll start with me a long time, just like A little Life. Grateful to have read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

nejenek's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I liked it! The main problem I had with this novel is that it is divided into three separate story which made it difficult to commit with each new chapter: it felt like reading three different books in a row.
 
Part 1 was my favourite. I really enjoyed the alternative history lore and the depth of Yanagihara's characters, even though I wasn't necessarily sympathetic towards them. But I don't have to like the characters to enjoy them, so that's irrelevant, I guess.
Part 2 started off nicely but was going at a much slower pace, which made it hard to keep reading after a finished story. Had I encountered this part as a separate book, I wouldn't have finished it.
Part 3 was very interesting, but didn't live up to the hype: yes, each new reveal really added to the experience, but they weren't important enough for me to be 100% vibing with the plot.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

rickle400's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

2.5

I’m always impressed with the underlying heart filled message of human tenacity that is so characteristic of this writer (and what called me back to her writing)  While this book continues to be true to that style, it is too long and lacks the depth I expected. The plot is very dragged out and some of the more complex details of world building needed more development in my opinion. For the length and patience required to complete this book im not sure I’d recommend :(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, and War

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Child death, Rape, and Death of parent

becksusername's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

I'm crying in a coffeeshop.

I want to know if they made it to paradise - all of them. Even the first David, who was a spoiled brat. But especially Charlie

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bell4trixx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.75

This is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful books I’ve ever read. It’s not an easy read, but it’s beautifully written and really makes you think. Also it’s so jarring in a way because it’s dystopian but in such a realistic way that it’s really quite disturbing. Really makes you think but definitely a heavy read. Also my biggest complaint is a I hate  the cliffhanger it was left on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Genocide, Mental illness, Violence, and Classism

donutlookaway's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Chronic illness and Homophobia

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent

monahed's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism