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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
Sad to say that I’m going to DNF. This book. Last year I was very excited to get my hands on this book. Could have bought this book many times but never did. Picked up the audio for a trip. First round I had to start it over. And the second time this time I made it to 43% but unfortunately not caring enough to continue.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy
an absolute heartbreaker but such a great story, amazingly well written
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Riddled with cliches, meandering plot of trauma after trauma building into nothing leaving the story ultimately empty and feeling like a waste of time. I really have no energy for trauma porns or stories that go “my word poverty!! Isn’t it just dreadful!!” without adding anything else. I think of stories like I Daniel Blake and Fish Tank and The Full Monty and Ratcatcher and they all had far more humanity and empathy for the people in these situations rather than parading them around like weird voodoo dolls to be poked and prodded as the author saw fit. I just don’t see the purpose of all the horror put in this story. It’s not news to anyone that DV happens in council estates. It’s not news to anyone that alcoholism happens in council estates. It’s not news to anyone that any of what happened in this novel happens to those in destitute poverty. You need to have a reason to put all that in one story, onto one character who sits there and takes it with a smile on his face. The woman are written like the author hates women, they fawn and acquiesce to men with stupidity and damsel-energy. Jodie is just a victim of the men around her, the neighbour is just a victim of the men around her, Hamish’s gf is just a victim of Hamish’s impregnating rape (which she gets blamed for by the other girls later on don’t forget). There can be a positive conversation had in the nuances of misogyny in extreme poverty but Stuart seems wholly disinterested in this. He’d rather dedicate pages to describing pedeophilia and rape of all kinds, from pedeophilic teachers to pedeophilic priests to pedeophilic strangers to pedeophilic brothers and on and on. It’s a bloated manuscript that I just found complexly exhausting to get through. I truly only finished it out of spite.
——————————————————-
Didn’t fully get the hype but I understand how middle class people not from Glasgow might get a voyeristic satisfaction out of reading this, it has an audience I’m just not it. At the end of the day it’s just another piece of trauma porn, silver lining is this it at least decently written prose.
——————————————————-
Didn’t fully get the hype but I understand how middle class people not from Glasgow might get a voyeristic satisfaction out of reading this, it has an audience I’m just not it. At the end of the day it’s just another piece of trauma porn, silver lining is this it at least decently written prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes