A Little Life

Good read but tough topics with little warning (cutting and anorexia can be trigger topics) and repeated graphic descriptions. Could have used some editing --a little goes a long way and insulting to the reader to reuse the emotion after character has long been established. Loved the look into male relationships and tremendous power of love. Had lots to talk about in book club so if you are up for long, dark read but debate of some serious topics--this selection is good.

This is one of the most beautiful but also one of the most harrowing books I've ever read. So many times I had to walk away from it because of the inexplicable horrors that were visited upon an innocent child, but I was drawn right back to it because I had to know what happened to him, how he learned to survive.

The story starts out seeming like a "coming of age" novel about a group of friends who all graduated from the same New England college and move to NYC to make their way in their respective careers. But it becomes clear that it's the "little life" of Jude that we're focusing on as we're given, little by little, the details of his horrific childhood, and it's a wonder he survived, let alone achieved such success in college, in his career, and with these very important, very special friendships. But even with all that he's accomplished, with everything he's gained, nothing can erase his nightmare past and the emotional and physical damage that was done to him. He becomes more and more broken as time goes by, even with all the people in his life who have come to love and care for him.

A sad, but at the same time hopeful, look at humanity.

Wonderful story of how friends become family and can heal parts of you that family could never. Heartbreaking what some humans endure. They struggle to hang on for others but sometimes their pain is just too much.

No character development

110/10 ⭐️, broke my heart every chapter.