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A review by edie_falk
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
This was a full bodied, full soiled, five star book for me. This is the definition of a modern classic. I can see myself reading this at different stages of my life, and I know that every time I will cry when Harold wraps adult Jude in a hug when he’s acting out and simply says ‘sweetheart. . I am so thankful for my family.
Not a lot of books have made me cry. I sobbed for probably the last 50 or 60 pages of this one. I know some of the emotions Jude felt, though my life has been so different from mine.
That’s the core of what I love about this book. Every single one of the characters feels so intensely human that the reader can identify with them somehow.
I hope most people don’t identify with Jude, though.
What to even say about Jude’s character? I loved him. I loved watching him grow, and try, and love. I loved watching him stay especially close with Willem. I loved rooting for him. My heart aches for him.
Above all, that’s the power of this book. It will break your heart. Fully and completely. You will undoubtedly ache. You will be reminded of your humanity. And that is beautiful.
Not a lot of books have made me cry. I sobbed for probably the last 50 or 60 pages of this one. I know some of the emotions Jude felt, though my life has been so different from mine.
That’s the core of what I love about this book. Every single one of the characters feels so intensely human that the reader can identify with them somehow.
I hope most people don’t identify with Jude, though.
What to even say about Jude’s character? I loved him. I loved watching him grow, and try, and love. I loved watching him stay especially close with Willem. I loved rooting for him. My heart aches for him.
Above all, that’s the power of this book. It will break your heart. Fully and completely. You will undoubtedly ache. You will be reminded of your humanity. And that is beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail