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basementofbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion
cecereads__'s review against another edition
4.5
I don’t want to compare it to Shuggie Bain though there are many crossovers. However, I feel like the author has honed in on his craft and found sth that works for him. I’d like to think I could tell of a progression.
Themes of neglect, isolation, violence and alcoholism to be aware of.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kayarosee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
readingatthemuseum's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
notthatcosta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
However, the flashes forward to the plot at the loch veered into misery porn in a way that felt unnecessary. I hate the countryside as much as it is, and I don't feel like the events that transpired really added anything to the book, nor did it really inform the plot. I feel like it would have been a total triumph had it completely erased that sub plot, including the ending.
Overall the excellent parts outweigh the part I resented having to read, and I'm keen to read Shuggie Bain off the back of this.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
tashmachin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Excrement
hypocrisis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
what i love about stuart's work is the realistically complex full characterisation of the families in his books, once again the mother figure sticks out in this regard. definitely worth a read if you can stomach it!
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Excrement, Abortion, and Outing
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
skudiklier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
It's written well, and Mungo is a likable and sympathetic character (especially his autism, which I immediately related to). But overall this book is just too sad, dark, and upsetting to me. I didn't get enough out of it for the darkness to be worth it. I might have DNF'd it if it wasn't for a book club I'm hosting; the time pressure was my only real motivation to keep reading. I didn't even necessarily want to know what would happen, because I knew it wouldn't be good.
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Outing
Minor: Fatphobia
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What it did do, however, was reinforce my love for romance novels because the amount of despair & anguish that poor Mungo goes through is too much for my poor heart. Seems I can only take one piece of contemporary fiction like Young Mungo each year! Thankfully it ended on a somewhat hopeful note, otherwise I don't know how I would have coped.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Excrement and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent
owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I loved this! It was sad and brutal but not without beauty. I think it avoided a lot of sentimentality in romance by focusing on the physical and the unglamorous, and then working hard to draw out the tenderness within that realism. The imagery and lyricism made this a beautiful, if slightly dense, novel.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail