A review by cari_
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.75

This is a wonderfully written book about terrible things. It's characters are rich and explored deeply enough for readers to develop a strong connection to them, which makes the terrible things worse. There are people who I would never recommend this book to, and I would suggest looking up content warnings before delving in if you are prone to triggers. It is not without flaws, but it affected me deeply (for better or worse).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment