Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

125 reviews

kbc's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

myhomextheroad's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Excrement

helenar's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a very challenging and emotive read. The author’s descriptions gave a very real picture of Agnes’ addiction and how her character was so totally changed when she was drinking alongside the physical realities of living with alcoholism and evoked great sympathy for what felt like a very real character. Shuggie’s efforts to try to make his mother happy so she would not drink and the way he took care of her was truly heartbreaking. In fact the story is packed with heartbreaking moments. Shuggie is an inspirational character in the way he coped with so much without becoming derailed himself and knowing that the story was based around the author’s own upbringing and what he has now made of his own life made the read a little easier and provided a little hope for what must have felt like an impossible life to escape.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, and Grief

emilistevenson's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Religious bigotry

nora__reads's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

Heartbreaking but big hearted, Shuggie Bain is a beautifully written portrayal of the struggles of loving someone with an addiction. 

It is also a portrait of Glasgow in the 80s, at the height of the Thatcher-era when unemployment was everywhere and addiction swiftly followed it.  

Stuart treats the character of Agnes with such care and love, he is both highly critical of her struggle and resigned to cope with it, as well as being tender and gentle with his portrayal. He shows the complexities of loving someone who is intent on destroying themselves. 

This relationship is what drove the story, but in the background of Agnes’s addiction Shuggie was also struggling to understand his sexuality in a deeply homophobic, misogynistic time. 

This book is completely deserving of its Booker prize nomination. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit