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jomeme's review
challenging
emotional
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
abbeyrode's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, Sexual assault, Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Suicide, Gore, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Addiction, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Death, Rape, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Medical content
silentreadernaomi's review against another edition
5.0
Het boek grijpt je en alle personages raakte me. Ik moest even bijkomen maar wauw. Echt wauw. Ik heb er geen andere woorden voor.
liviabetti's review
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
photogeezer's review against another edition
3.0
This seemed like an amazing book art first, but I repeat another readers statement: Fuck this book. I originally gave this 4 stars but changed it to 3. Too many things about this book pissed me off. 1. Privilege. It was too much a part of the story. Exotic places they vacationed and expensive, hip food they ate. Boring. Pretentious. 2. The monastery. That one of them was sexually abusive was believable, but then every single other man in the place was hateful and verbally abusive to Jude? Bullshit. 2. Truckers. Every single trucker who gave Jude a ride was a pedophile? Bullshit. 3. Every counselor in the group home was sexually or otherwise abusive? Bullshit. 4. The cover. I hate the cover. I don't usually care about book covers but I hate this one. Not even sure why.
When Jude finally does commit suicide, it's anti-climactic. After spending most of the book being emotionally invested in his survival, I didn't care anymore. I was emotionally spent at that point.
Yanagihara says she made the abuse, the violence intentionally excessive. “I wanted there to be something too much about the violence in the book, but I also wanted there to be an exaggeration of everything, an exaggeration of love, of empathy, of pity, of horror. I wanted everything turned up a little too high. I wanted it to feel a little bit vulgar in places. Or to be always walking that line between out and out sentimentality and the boundaries of good taste. I wanted the reader to really press up against that as much as possible and if I tipped into it in a couple of places, well, I couldn’t really stop it.” How insulting. Did she think she needed to beat us over the head with the pain because she wasn't sure we'd get it?
And what's with so many of the characters dying in a short period of time at the end? It seemed contrived. Was she afraid the ending would be too boring?
When Jude finally does commit suicide, it's anti-climactic. After spending most of the book being emotionally invested in his survival, I didn't care anymore. I was emotionally spent at that point.
Yanagihara says she made the abuse, the violence intentionally excessive. “I wanted there to be something too much about the violence in the book, but I also wanted there to be an exaggeration of everything, an exaggeration of love, of empathy, of pity, of horror. I wanted everything turned up a little too high. I wanted it to feel a little bit vulgar in places. Or to be always walking that line between out and out sentimentality and the boundaries of good taste. I wanted the reader to really press up against that as much as possible and if I tipped into it in a couple of places, well, I couldn’t really stop it.” How insulting. Did she think she needed to beat us over the head with the pain because she wasn't sure we'd get it?
And what's with so many of the characters dying in a short period of time at the end? It seemed contrived. Was she afraid the ending would be too boring?
ezrasupremacy's review against another edition
5.0
i have never in my entire life felt this empty after finishing a book. will come back to write this an actual review once i’m done processing. if i could give more than five stars i would.
elsamostovac's review
3.0
my rating might seem controversial but this book isn’t all that. for it to take me almost 3 months to finish says a lot. i cried a little bit but i wouldnt say it touched me all that much and thats coming from a sensitive person. the storyline is just sad and rough but not sobbing sad. it’s a hard read for sure and i wouldnt just recommend it to anyone. the writing is great tho, props to the author.
shaicassidy's review against another edition
5.0
A painful and heartbreaking read. Would not recommend. 5*
rosanacg's review against another edition
4.0
this made me feel so guilty - like i was intruding and was reading something i shouldn't. i never lost hope for jude's life to get better, no matter how much people told me "it only gets worse", i don't think i've ever read a more heart-wrenching book.