The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
selenebooks_'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
however, PLEASE inform yourselves of ALL trigger warnings and, if necessary, please check the spoilers for each trigger warning. i read this book knowing what i was going in for, but i cannot put into words how incredibly graphic and triggering this book was.
nonetheless, it was a beautifully sad story.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Rape, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Car accident
Minor: Transphobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Lesbophobia
daniel195evans'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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Eating disorder
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: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexual violence, and Violence
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: Pedophilia, Rape, Gore, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Self harm, Mental illness, Grief, Child abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Lesbophobia, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit, Classism, and Deadnaming
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: Gaslighting, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Cursing, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Ableism, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
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: Child abuse, Self harm, Ableism, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia
Minor: Drug abuse, Lesbophobia, Rape, Suicide, and Transphobia
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: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Rape, and Car accident
Moderate: Vomit, Medical content, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, and Sexual violence
Minor: Death of parent, Transphobia, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, and Stalking
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: Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Drug abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Grief, Ableism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Trafficking
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Transphobia, Infertility, 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: Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Self harm, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Child death, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Classism and Racism
Minor: Transphobia, Homophobia, 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, Body horror, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Child death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism and Lesbophobia
Minor: Transphobia