A little life book trigger warnings

Q: Is A Little Life too depressing?

Because A Little Life is inarguably the saddest book Ive ever read. By far. Im serious: A Little Life is on the top of the tower of sad books Ive read, and then you have to descend an endless stairwell to reach the second-saddest book.

Q: Is A Little Life a sad book?

Its not happy and pleasant until the end where something sad happens- no, this book is a depressing hunk of paper with very little happiness in it. A Little Life is a long, winding tunnel spotted with skylights. You walk forward in the darkness with a couple of friends, and you are struck with sadness after sadness.

A Little Life

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Trigger Warnings
Representation
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Is A Little Life appropriate for 13 year olds?
Is A Little Life difficult to read?
Is A Little Life too depressing?
Is A Little Life a sad book?

Author(s)	Hanya Yanagihara
Published	March 10, 2015
Publisher	Doubleday
Genre(s)	Contemporary Fiction
Age group	Adult

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is an adult contemporary novel, originally published on March 10, 2015.

Trigger Warnings

To view more details about a given item, click the "Expand" button beside it. Please note that these details may include spoilers.

Ableism (violent)
Dismissal of chronic pain, physical abuse after showcasing disability, character is raped because of his disability. This happens in The Axiom of Equality, Chapter One.
Child abandonment
A baby is left in a dumpster
Child abuse
Child death
Detailed, The Axiom of Equality Chapter Two.
Child molestation
Child rape
From 9 to 12 years old. Hundreds of men, including his parental figure. The Axiom of Equality, Chapter Three.
Drug abuse
Domestic violence/abuse
Has the potential to lead to a possible murder. The Axiom of Equality, Chapter One and Two.
Eating disorder
Emotional abuse
Gaslighting
Grooming
Lesbophobia (unchallenged)
Manipulation
Pedophilia
Physical abuse
Character is constantly hit by people raising him as a child. He is later hit by a partner as an adult.
Prostitution
Of a child (from nine to twelve years old). The Axiom of Equality, Chapter Three.
Racism
Deep discussions of Black identity are discussed within the book, including internalized racism and being mixed. Some Black readers have expressed this oversteps boundaries, as the author is not Black.
Rape
The Axiom of Equality, Chapter One and Chapter Two. Child rape at Chapter Three.
Self harm (graphic)
Sexual abuse
Sexual assault
Suicide ideation
Suicide
Graphic attempt at The Axiom of Equality, Chapter Three.
Transphobia (misgendering)
Character isn't actually trans, but characters doing the misgendering believe they are, trans identity is used as a punchline. Vanities, Chapter One.

Representation

An asterisk (*) indicates that the author openly identifies with that identity.

M/M romance (main characters)
Non-specified POC (main character)
Black side characters
Indian side character
Disabled main character
PTSD (main character)

Tropes

Friends-to-lovers

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism
Lesbomisia
Transmisia
Misgendering
Paedophilia & child sexual abuse
Rape & rape of a child
Child physical & emotional abuse
Child neglect & abandonment
Intimate partner violence & abuse
Eating disorder
Suicidal ideation
Graphic attempted suicide
Self-harm
Drug abuse
Graphic death of a child

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Is A Little Life appropriate for 13 year olds?

I would recommend this book only to those who can handle it and I would not suggest anyone under the age of 18 reading it. See A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara on Goodreads and purchase through Book Depository*.

Is A Little Life difficult to read?

And because it follows the story of such a broken, intense young man, it is a difficult read. It is a difficult read in more ways than one. Firstly, it is 800 pages long with very little action, with large chunks of paragraphs detailing the little moments in life, detailing theorems and laws and art and literature.

Is A Little Life too depressing?

Because A Little Life is inarguably the saddest book I've ever read. By far. I'm serious: A Little Life is on the top of the tower of sad books I've read, and then you have to descend an endless stairwell to reach the second-saddest book.

Is A Little Life a sad book?

It's not happy and pleasant until the end where something sad happens- no, this book is a depressing hunk of paper with very little happiness in it. A Little Life is a long, winding tunnel spotted with skylights. You walk forward in the darkness with a couple of friends, and you are struck with sadness after sadness.

life book trigger warnings