Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

167 reviews

rachelhodgkins's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicide, Racial slurs, Homophobia, and Bullying

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

bethvance's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent and Classism

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

corinnaxsophie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.75

This book felt grey & muddy brown throughout. It put me in a reading slump after about 1/3rd because it was just all so hopeless and devastating.

“The happy year” was just a tiny ray of sunshine in this book that disappeared way too quickly again. But the very end really touched my heart and i thought it was beautiful

An amazingly written book, but it was just almost unbearable for me to read. Please mind the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt

emilymdxn's review against another edition

dark 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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Vomit

mj_trearty's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 This is not an easy read but it is a very worthwhile read.

The book focuses on the Bain family, mainly Shuggie, the youngest son, and Agnes his alcoholic mother, living in 80s and early 90s Glasgow. It shows the desperation of many without work due to the mines closing and the fall of the ship building industry amongst others. What life was like in the council houses and tenements and how it was dealing with alcoholism.

The character of Shuggie does not fit in, smaller and more effeminate than other boys, he is bullied throughout his life while having to deal with hunger and desperation as his mother spent the dole and child support on cans of Special Brew. All he wants is his mum to get better and if he tries hard enough she will, in his young mind that is enough.

This is a beautifully crafted and harrowing account that brought tears to the eye on more than one occasion., definitely one of the best books I have read in years.

I think this line sums it up "the more you love someone the more they take the p**s out of that. They will do less and less of what ye want and more and more of just as the f****n' please." That is definitely how life was for Shuggie 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Rape, Self harm, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

leah_grace7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

lindsaylhunter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A challenging read. What should be very unlikeable characters become incredibly lovable in the face of the hardships they suffer through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Bullying

laindarko2's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Self harm, Addiction, Bullying, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Death, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Racial slurs and Injury/Injury detail