Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Shuggie Bain

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

183 reviews

orireading's review

Go to review page

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

well this was fucking beautiful-devastating

Content Warnings

emmaisabelle's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wish this book hadn’t beaten Real Life by Brandon Taylor for the Booker because I LOVE that book and unfortunately couldn’t stop myself from comparing the two even though they’re so different.

I loved the way the book zeroed in on Shuggie and Agnes’s relationship. I went in thinking it was more going to be about Shuggie but it really is about them
both and their relationship and the havoc addiction wreaks on a family. This book is just… so heartbreaking and raw. It does a great job of evoking the pain of being a child of an alcoholic. I may be alone in this but I deeply felt for Agnes throughout.

When she relapsed, my heart broke and like Leek, I was ready to beat up Eugene too.

I really devoured the second half and finished it in a day. I think Stuart did a great job of also helping readers deeply understand Leek, Catherine and the other side characters without really having to go or their heads or focus on them. Shuggie isn’t the most reliable narrator but we can really feel their emotions and motivations despite that through the whole book.

Content Warnings

isaarusilor's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

Content Warnings

risemini's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

coleyreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I went into this one a bit scared because of the hype but I’m so glad I’ve finally read it.

Shuggie Bain is a totally unflinching, heartwarming and heart wrenching story of a Glasgow family in the 80’s.

Shuggie is such a sweet character, and he knows there’s something different about him. It was really bitter sweet to watch his growth! But, the heart and soul of this novel is actually Agnes, the mother of Shuggie and his two siblings. Agnes battles alcoholism and goes through extreme highs and terrible lows, and Shuggie is there every step of the way. The love Shuggie has for his mother is deep and exhausting.

Stuart’s writing was so easy and comforting, I felt like an old friend was telling me a story.

It’s evident how much Douglas Stuart cares for these characters as if they were part of his own life story. I know the author has said a few times that Shuggie Bain is a sort of love letter to his own mother, and I think that’s beautiful.

I can’t wait to read Young Mungo!

Content Warnings