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sienneis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Racism
Minor: Rape
lisatz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5
Nachdem ich ein wenig Schwierigkeiten hatte reinzukommen, hat mich das Buch nach der Hälfte des ersten Buchs gepackt. Hanya Yanagihara spielt mit Motiven, Namen und Orten, die sich alle 100 Jahre wiederholen. An vielen Stellen war ich sehr verwirrt wer, wer ist und wessen Kinder oder Enkelkinder wieder aufgetaucht sind. Ich bleibe verwirrt zurück. Besonders das letzte Buch im Buch, Zone 8, hat mich sehr gefesselt. Yanagihara schreibt eindrücklich über ein Land, das von Peking regiert wird. Ständig Pandemien und immer ein moralisches Dilemma - vor allem für die Leser*innen wie der neueste Virus eingedämmt werden kann.
Eine Frage zum Schluss. Wieso schreibt Yanagihara so gerne traumatische und verstörende Geschichten mit Männern in schwulen Beziehungen? Warum nicht lesbische Frauen?
Eine Frage zum Schluss. Wieso schreibt Yanagihara so gerne traumatische und verstörende Geschichten mit Männern in schwulen Beziehungen? Warum nicht lesbische Frauen?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
cwatson1234's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
ame_lepage's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.25
This was one of the most painful reading experiences ever.
This book was just so not for me.
I have considerable eco-anxiety, and this book triggered me pretty badly (especially the third book). I was definitely not having a great time, and while I understand that it's important to know what will happen if we don't do anything about climate change, this was just too much for me.
I also think the idea behind this story might have been too ambitious. There was basically no connection between the three books (and if there was, it was never stated explicitly and you were left to figure it out on your own, which in some cases work, but it didn't in this one), which made me wonder what was the point of the book. I also felt like the author was withholding information about the world purposely just for the shock factor, which is not something that works well, in my opinion. I still have too many questions after finishing the book.
I also feel like the author might have taken the open endings too far. We never know how the first and the third book finish, which was so unsatisfying (especially when you stick through a 700 hundred-pages book in the hopes of having some kind of conclusion).
I do have to say the Book 2, Part 2 was great. I even cried at the end and for me, it was the highlight of the book. However, apart from that, it was unfortunately a miss for me.
This book was just so not for me.
I have considerable eco-anxiety, and this book triggered me pretty badly (especially the third book). I was definitely not having a great time, and while I understand that it's important to know what will happen if we don't do anything about climate change, this was just too much for me.
I also think the idea behind this story might have been too ambitious. There was basically no connection between the three books (and if there was, it was never stated explicitly and you were left to figure it out on your own, which in some cases work, but it didn't in this one), which made me wonder what was the point of the book. I also felt like the author was withholding information about the world purposely just for the shock factor, which is not something that works well, in my opinion. I still have too many questions after finishing the book.
I also feel like the author might have taken the open endings too far. We never know how the first and the third book finish, which was so unsatisfying (especially when you stick through a 700 hundred-pages book in the hopes of having some kind of conclusion).
I do have to say the Book 2, Part 2 was great. I even cried at the end and for me, it was the highlight of the book. However, apart from that, it was unfortunately a miss for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment
Moderate: Rape
e_austin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual assault
faduma's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Racism
catesm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
sabotheking's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book does not need to be as big as it is. I found it incredibly overly descriptive, info-dumping that did not drive the plot forward in any way shape or form, and it made it hard to figure out what was actually important to know. Author does have a way of writing that makes the story stick with you, and I did find the relationship between Grandfather and Grandaughter in book 3 really emotional and well fleshed out. Did NOT like the random commentary on black, asian and indigenous people that were downright offensive and served no purpose other than to piss off the reader (me). The 3 stories had no relation to each other. The theme of paradise felt really messily and hastily put in towards the conclusion of each story. There really was no conclusion to book 1 and 3, they were left very open ended and they felt as if the author did not know what to do with the story anymore and just hastily said "THE END BYE". Enjoyed the twist in the conclusion of Book 2 of the father, but the conclusion of the son was lacklustre at best. The conversations around the struggles of Kanaka Mauli in Hawai'i felt more like a criticism on them rather than the US and that felt off. However I am not Kanaka Mauli so I cannot speak for them, I would love to see and hear about opinions that they have of this book. There were so many valid conversations that this book raised but they were brought up and then led to nothing. It tried to do so much, while if it only focused on the characters it would be a far more enjoyable read. The characters had barely any development themselves, however I do think it was pretty interesting how all the main characters, while being in their 20's, all felt like I was reading about children. I had a lot of sympathy for the main characters, except for David jr. In Book 2. What kept me reading was the relationships. I thought they were interesting to read about, I would've loved more from that because there so much that could be talked about but it also felt very surface level which was disappointing. I wouldn't recommend reading this book, but I don't necessarily think I wasted my time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
deandra_lalonde's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Racism, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War
mandaoof's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
It is 11:43 at night, and I just finished this book, and y'all I wanted to throw this book. In the good way.
The book is made up of three books really, with the same main characters appearing with some new ones occasionally appearing. Seeing the same characters in different contexts, how their environment changed them (nature vs nurture!), how their relationships changed as they changed with the same characters.
I will be honest- I did not like the first part at all. The entire time I was thinking the main character David is a complete idiot and someone I very much would like to smack. I blame the romantic angst- I don't like romantic plots in the first place. But in my defense, the character had a pretty damn severe reaction to being ghosted. It was bad enough that I was making plans to give my copy of the book to a friend because I was thinking there was no way I would want to reread this.
The second book was the start of forgiveness for me, the start of 'oh, I think I actually like this'. I fell quickly in the world of discussion of the impacts of colonialism, of culture identity, of toxic friendships, of the impacts of being a child who had to be a caretaker of a parent. The parts of the impacts of the AIDs epidemic, to the ones who saw it start to the ones who came into adulthood with it already a known factor, was really interesting.
But the third book? I could barely put it down. The world building, the emotional language of the letters, the way things started falling together- and the *fucking cliffhanger*- I wanted to scream. And cry.
When I am able to, I will absolutely be rereading the second and third book, to catch the tiny details better this time, to take the time to enjoy it knowing what will happen.
The book is made up of three books really, with the same main characters appearing with some new ones occasionally appearing. Seeing the same characters in different contexts, how their environment changed them (nature vs nurture!), how their relationships changed as they changed with the same characters.
I will be honest- I did not like the first part at all. The entire time I was thinking the main character David is a complete idiot and someone I very much would like to smack. I blame the romantic angst- I don't like romantic plots in the first place. But in my defense, the character had a pretty damn severe reaction to being ghosted. It was bad enough that I was making plans to give my copy of the book to a friend because I was thinking there was no way I would want to reread this.
The second book was the start of forgiveness for me, the start of 'oh, I think I actually like this'. I fell quickly in the world of discussion of the impacts of colonialism, of culture identity, of toxic friendships, of the impacts of being a child who had to be a caretaker of a parent. The parts of the impacts of the AIDs epidemic, to the ones who saw it start to the ones who came into adulthood with it already a known factor, was really interesting.
But the third book? I could barely put it down. The world building, the emotional language of the letters, the way things started falling together- and the *fucking cliffhanger*- I wanted to scream. And cry.
When I am able to, I will absolutely be rereading the second and third book, to catch the tiny details better this time, to take the time to enjoy it knowing what will happen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual assault