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raisinflakies'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
lucykateburns'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
On the contrast, it was hard not to love Shuggie. I don't know how to sum him up. What child doesn't love their mother? It's hard to grow up and accept that they aren't the heroes you once thought them to be. Parents can be very flawed people and, as in Shuggie's case, so flawed that there is nothing you can do to help them. The whole book felt like a journey into Shuggie's letting go of his mum, he couldn't keep her here for him. I think ultimately letting her go was the best he could have done.
In this sense, the theme of recurring self-harm and inability to recover reminded me of A Little Life, and both share similar endings in this regard. The tragic comparison between Leanne's mother and Shuggie's is something to comment on, but I won't go too much into it. Essentially, it just shows the possible paths alcoholism can lead a woman down, neither of which are positive. For this reason, I think the book has a very depressing overall tone to it, there isn't a fairytale ending but sometimes that is the reality of things. Clearly this was never entirely Agnes' fault, but in the world we live in she didn't have much choice. Eugene must feel eternal guilt.
It is difficult to finish the book and not know where Shuggie ends up, or what exactly the outcome of the journey with his sexuality will be, but I am comforted with his friendship with Leanne. I hope they both find love and happiness.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, and Gaslighting
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
merle98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
sam_w_r'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
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
bersblue'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
niamhellen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
mccannamandajane's review against another edition
Simply, this novel reads as cruel, spectator-esque, poverty porn.
The way which Stuart writes about his female characters is emotionless and misogynistic. He extends no empathy in his writing to their plight, not even where they experience unrelenting gender based violence and cruelty. At one point even writing that the women see the violence of the men in their lives as contributory to their desire for them.
The poverty and the cruelty of absent mothers is clearly all Stuart wanted to write about, and his characters live in hopeless, changeless, joyless circumstances with no respite, ease or laugh to be found.
Yes there are lives akin to this. And yes the violence is performed daily. But this novel had no interest in exploring that with care. Instead trading thoughtful truth-telling for shock and hate.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment
amberinbookland's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
stayathomereader's review
- 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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent