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poppymaud's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
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: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Excrement, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit
annicanns's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I picked it up after reading A Little Life in hopes of finding something as emotionally exhausting as I tend to find comfort in reading books where characters have experienced similar things to me.
For the majority of this book, I was completely enticed and wrapped up in the book.
A little more than half way through, I hit a stump. I got a little bored of the same old same old in the section and had to force myself to push through in hopes for the ending to be amazing.
The ending? Amazing.
Pros: Great writing, pacing, and overall a great story
Cons: A little difficult to read at some parts because of the way the accent is spelt out, the amount of time centered around Shuggie as a boy was much much longer than I thought (I thought the book would be about him as an adult learning to cope with life after trauma from his childhood)
Graphic: Rape, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
novellenovels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Vomit
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
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: 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
- 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, 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
steelfern'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
A story about the horrors of poverty, and addiction. I stand by my comparison to A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, but I think this book does not have the hope that ATGiB did.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Homophobia
amberlovick's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
*audiobook*
This felt very reminiscent of A Little Life and was not an easy read. I felt this book was brilliantly written and I grew very attached to Shuggie. It was a very raw and explicit depiction of the era and really demonstrated how difficult peoples lives were and the vicious cycles society perpetuated.
I would highly recommend this book, well worth the read, just read your trigger warnings first.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Infidelity, Homophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Cursing, Death, Bullying, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Violence
laurenw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Medical content, and Misogyny
Minor: Blood and Body shaming
amberinbookland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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