Soul-crushing. 

Through an in-depth exploration of trauma, Yanagihara shines light upon the ever-present struggles that underpin the human experience. 

With characters so wonderful yet deeply flawed, you cannot help but invest your heart in their stories. Even in the stark, bleak depiction of lives abundant with trauma, Yanagihara is able to extract emotion so inherent to humanity, that it will resonate with any reader. 

A Little Life is simultaneously mortifying and strangely, reassuring in its ability to draw out the most visceral emotion. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced, with lines so poignant that you will be thinking about them for years to come. 

I have never read a book so profoundly moving. 

(End Note: This book, while incredible, takes a physical and mental toll to read. The topics dealt with, and the detail and abundance in which they are described, are severe. I would strongly advise readers to research the content prior to reading, and to avoid reading this book if in a negative headspace)