Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

98 reviews

mariadomarbelchior's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Very touching description of what it is to live with someone with an addiction. This book focuses on the relationship of a mother and son as the mother struggles with alcoholism while the son tries everything to help her, always hopeful she will heal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia and Violence

katlouisee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Excrement

etty_m's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Violence

pawtory's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Honestly the most depressing thing I've ever read (maybe I Gevalia avoid that but good god). Realistic to the point of hopelessness. I know terrible people and situations exist but there was no relief here for Shuggie. I think he had a handful of people shown his life who weren't completely  awful? It was well written, but if I could tell past me to skip this one I would. The content warnings are quite serious. I would only rec this book if you  need to read about stuff that's so awful anything in your life will seem better in comparison...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Terminal illness and Religious bigotry

madread8's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia

leonkaspar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

alicefaye_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

marnash's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I found this book incredibly touching, despite it's very morbid and depressing plot. Almost all of the characters were loveable, even the ones you wouldn't think could be, even the ones that loving them also includes feeling sorry for them. It's a touching and complicated tale of addiction and the way it affects the lives of the addict and the people closest to them. It's heartbreaking but such an important subject, and helps to better understand the effect of addiction on the children of the addict and their relationship. It also quite accurately depicts the cicle that addicts go through in their attempt to become/stay sober. Working with addicts in my Social Work training makes me all the more sympathetic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

andrewspink's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad 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

4.5

The book ends in 1992, the year that I left Glasgow. Not that I knew it as well as the author, I only lived there for three years and I didn't grow up there. Perhaps it is stating the obvious, but the book is about the most poverty-stricken people in Glasgow, not most people. Alcoholism was a big problem in the city at that time, but it isn't like most people were alcoholics. Sectarianism was also a big problem, but again, not with most people. But why is no one called Jimmy in this book, a strangely large proportion of Glaswegian men that I met were called Jimmy?
I enjoyed reading the dialect, it brought back good memories of the friendly, kind people that I met there. When I arrived (from England), I could not understand some of the locals (very embarrassing) and it took me about three months to get my ear in. Nevertheless, I had to look up quite a few words whilst reading this book. That is a definite advantage of e-books, it makes that much easier. 
The book is well-written, with some nice phrases. "Rain was the natural state of Glasgow. It kept the grass green and the people pale and bronchial". 
It is not a cheerful book. It is a tragedy, and we read about the very depths of human nature in the book. The ending could have been even more miserable, but nevertheless, it is not exactly riding off into the sunset. It would have been strange if it was. Although the author managed to get an education and escape from his situation, there are many people growing up in situations like that who don't.  The context is everything. Mrs Thatcher destroyed the mines and the shipyards (near where I lived) and in doing so created the situation described in the book, whilst at the same time cutting the funding of the local authorities to prevent them from making an adequate response. 
So, given that there is so much misery, why is it worth reading? Like any good literature, we read (in part) to understand situations we cannot experience first hand. This book helps us to understand what it was like to be Shuggie. As we read it, we find ourselves caring about what happens to him. That is worthwhile.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt

clellman's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

This book is emotionally devastating. While the title character is Shuggie, Agnes is arguably the more central figure. There is intimacy, love, denial, self destruction, and wanting yourself to be different. It was super engrossing in a particular time and place ('80s Glasgow council housing) and the written out dialect was incredible and had me reading out loud to myself. Best book I've read in a while.

For me, it evoked A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, En finir avec Eddy Belleguele, and A Little Life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol