Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

17 reviews

merle98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

It is not often to come across a book that so brilliantly and intimately portrays the gritty realities of poverty and addiction, neither romanticising its subjects and their lives nor vilifying their actions. Would highly recommend for people in a mentally stable place.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

sam_w_r's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

bersblue's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Suicide attempt

niamhellen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

mccannamandajane's review against another edition

This is the second time in my life where I have been unable to finish a book. 

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

amberinbookland's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

stayathomereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Vomit