I’ve read this on Wattpad when I was still in high school. I was so obsessed with it back then. I thought reading this first would spark my love for reading. Rereading it didn’t have the same effect on me compared to when I first read it 11 years ago. Maybe because I’m not a student anymore and I can’t relate to it. I also thought this was where I learned to use curse words and suppress my feelings (it was hard to unlearn. It took me years to realize how bad its effect on my life was). When I finished the book, there was one thing left, unanswered. I was still thinking about who Makki was referring to as the person he liked. Can someone tell me who it is?

This is the second book of Montello High. It has a different main character, which I liked more than Summer because I was getting annoyed with Summer’s immaturity and recklessness. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking that Tres didn’t deserve the main character. There’s a third book too, but I don’t feel like reading it yet, but maybe I will someday.

I don’t like watching trailers before a movie. Too much is always revealed, and I prefer to be surprised. It’s the same with books. That’s why I didn’t read much about A Little Life before starting it.

In the first few chapters, I thought it was a story about friendship and adulthood. Whenever someone asked what I was reading, I’d say, “It’s about navigating adult life in New York.” And honestly, that’s what it felt like for a while. I wasn’t even sure who the main character was. But as the pages went on, it became clear: this was Jude’s story.

His past is a slow reveal, and there were things he did that quietly unsettled me. I almost stopped reading a few times, but I kept going, needing to know. And when I finally reached that part his part it was darker than I imagined. It was fiction, yes, but it made me ache. It reminded me how lucky some of us are to grow up with safety, family, trust. Jude didn’t have that. And yet, somehow, he still found people who truly loved him.

What nearly made me put the book down for good, though, was the chapter with his boyfriend. The way Jude was treated it made my blood boil. I wanted to scream, “How dare you hurt him?” Like I was one of his friends, watching it happen. Jude felt so fragile to me, and it hurt that he believed he deserved that kind of pain. I hated how he hid it, accepted it. I understood, painfully. In a different way, I’ve been there.

There were moments of sweetness after that, moments that made me believe things might finally be okay. But A Little Life doesn’t tie things up neatly. The book isn’t really about adulthood. It’s about life. Its cruelty, its tenderness, its contradictions. It’s about trauma, and how hard it is to come back from it. It doesn’t end when things get better, because real life doesn’t. The ending isn’t happy. But it’s honest.

As I neared the end, I was prepared for Jude. I knew, somehow, how his story would close. What I didn’t expect was how deeply I’d come to care for Harold. His love felt quiet, unwavering, and warm. If only Jude had met someone like him earlier. When I finished the book, I held it against my chest and sobbed ugly, heavy sobbing. I hated the book for how much it hurt me. I loved it for the same reason.

I’d recommend it. I’d also never recommend it. It took over my thoughts for days. It made me feel like I’d lived another life, and lost it.

Who says fiction can’t wreck you?

I’m still glad I read it.

It’s easy to read. I love reading the letters and publications. The twist wasn’t what I expected, though it doesn’t feel like a twist; it’s more like a surprise. I like the part where she says that the world doesn’t give you things. You take things.

I found this on Booksale. It’s different from the movie. It’s like a modern beauty and the beast, though the female isn’t a beauty according to the guy. It made me have this deep thought that I do feel like a beast myself sometimes. Anyway, it doesn’t feel romantic. Maybe because it’s written from the male perspective?

It’s a quick read. I thought I was gonna love it but I didn’t. The characters are not that lovable or maybe I just find it hard to connect with them? It has a potential. There are so many unanswered questions like the main character’s identity and her grandmother. The main character’s relationship with Ben feels rushed, while the story itself is slow. The truth was only revealed at the end, and it didn’t really work whatever the writer is trying to do. The plot twist is not shocking. There was no climax, and what’s with the parents’ deaths? Most teenage books I’ve read start where both the main character’s parents died. I’m getting tired of it.

I’ve watched this when I was younger, and I’ve appreciated it even more after reading the book. The characters are relatable. It made me reflect on myself when I was young. It reminds the reader to see the beauty of life and that everyone carries their own struggles, and even a small act of kindness can have an impact. I also love the way it allows you to see the world through Jess’s eyes as he navigates grief. It makes you feel compassion and empathy for those who experience loss.

What made me start liking biographies is how they let you see life as a whole, how a person begins, what shaped them, and what they leave behind.

I picked up a book about Coco Chanel while searching for inspiration from a successful, self-made woman. What I admired most was how she refused to settle. She could’ve stayed a rich man’s mistress, but she chose to build something of her own instead. The book also reminded me how the world still hasn’t changed much, women continue to create, while men continue to capitalize. Reading about how the Wertheimers profited most from her brand was frustrating,

My biggest takeaway? Life is short. No amount of status or success means anything if you’re not fulfilled on the inside. At the end of the day, what matters is how you feel about your life and the love you share with those who truly see you.

After A Little Life, I was really craving something light and funny something to help me breathe again. I picked this up hoping for a comedic, diary-style read, but I couldn’t quite relate to it.

Some parts felt a bit outdated, especially since the book centered a lot on marriage, parenting, and religion topics that don’t quite align with where I am in life right now. There were definitely funny moments, but it didn’t feel as personal or journal-like as I expected.

Also, since it’s set in the U.S., some cultural references like certain restaurants or places didn’t really click with me. Still, I liked learning about them from a distance. It just wasn’t the cozy, relatable read I was hoping for, and that’s okay. Not every book is meant to feel like home.

This book made me both want to have animals and not want them at the same time. It really makes you appreciate them and recognize that each has its own personality. I also liked how it explored mental health in a light yet meaningful way. It was such a fun read!

This made me realize that biographies can be shocking to read. Unlike fiction, where characters usually go through things with a clear purpose, real life just… happens. Some parts even feel like a fairytale love story until the couple starts having affairs and having kids with other people. It gives such a raw, realistic perspective on life and relationships. Then they start having children and not really being good parents. It’s so different from the neatly structured plots we see in movies. Everything feels unpredictable, even the deaths, which just happen without the dramatic buildup you expect in fiction. But that’s also what makes it so interesting to read. It lists real places that exist or once existed, mentions historical events, and even references familiar names.