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A review by danaaliyalevinson
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
This is my favorite book I’ve ever read, usurping Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth”. Incandescent. Equally harrowing and hopeful, brutal and beautiful. A modern sweeping American gothic masterpiece. Also without getting into details, as a trauma survivor, I cannot overstate how much this resonated with me, gave me a fair amount of catharsis, and, perhaps strangely, gave me a lot of hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Confinement and Transphobia