Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

136 reviews

mikom10's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Fun fact: I tried reading this book 3x, but the first two attempts were unsuccessful because the plot was so slow.

But I had the book and figured I might as well give it another go… AND I’M GLAD I DID.

This story is definitely tough to read, as it touches on a plethora of heavy subject matter. My heart is truly aching from it, but it’s definitely worth reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

cookie_khumalo's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder

doramag's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

orangecasio's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF CSA IS A TRIGGER FOR YOU. 

It’s a beautiful but bitter sorry about late 20th Century Glasgow. It was really lovely seeing where I was born and grew up represented (although at a different time period). I would NOT call this a love story. It’s about two boys in love but saying it’s a love story would be misleading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, and Religious bigotry

paigebayliss's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I started Young Mungo after having my heart ripped out by Shuggie Bain. The author’s writing style is beautiful and this was another heart wrenching read. The descriptive writing can be graphic but also tenderly captured such complex relationships. Evoked such visceral disgust pity and sadness while still keeping a tiny glimmer of hope.  Gonna go and cry now !! 

The timeline was a bit confusing at first but then the contrast in time/ events made them even more tragic. 

I think the ambiguity of the ending is perfect and I’m staying hopeful that Mungo left with James. Seems kind of unlikely though :( The way Hamish protected Mungo at the end :( Ughhh I just want a happy ending for at least one person in these books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Religious bigotry

pkc's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

At the half way point, I couldn’t have envisioned giving this book five stars. Some of the subject matter is harrowing and tough to read, but tell me why I finished reading it, feeling, of all things, hopeful? Mungo as a protagonist is sweet and complicated. His journey of discovery is as joyful as it is harrowing in places and seeing him endure what he does filled me with a deep sense of anger and hurt and seeing his transition at the end of the novel left me feeling conflicted.

No one should endure what he has to, but the result is that he survives his ordeal with his brother and the loch and comes back with a sense of perspective - he will fend for himself and do what is right for himself.

 

All in all, a much bleaker picture than ‘Shuggie Bain’ but definitely more complex and engaging.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

rainbowobsidian's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

BRUTAL.
And stunning. 
Definitely required reading breaks.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Religious bigotry

danidamico's review against another edition

Me da un poco de pena abandonar este libro habiendo llegado al 65%, pero creo que un aspecto clave a la hora de disfrutar las lecturas es aprender a soltarlas cuando las ganas de seguir no están. Hace tiempo que tenía muchas ganas de leer a Douglas Stuart y estaba ilusionada, sin embargo, debo decir que no me gustó mucho lo que leí. No sé exactamente a qué se debe, pero estoy bastante cansada de leer ficción cuyo único objetivo parece ser impactar al lector con unos niveles de sufrimiento y violencia que terminan por tener el efecto contrario a conmoverme. Es tan tremenda la secuencia de cosas terribles que le pasan a Mungo en esta novela que llega un punto en el que me genera rechazo seguir leyendo, me resulta morboso leer 400 páginas sobre la explotación de un chico de 15 años. El único mérito literario que le encontré a la novela es el uso del dialecto de Glasgow, siempre me resulta interesante el trabajo con la oralidad, sobre todo cuando se sale de lo que es considerado "correcto" y les da el espacio a las voces que suelen ser empujadas a los márgenes. Lamentablemente, más allá de eso, no encontré nada que me produjera el deseo de continuar con la lectura. Sinceramente me pregunto cuál es el punto de presenciar esta seguidilla de pedofilia, abusos sexuales y violencia. ¿Para qué? También la manera en la que se aborda el tema de la violencia de género es muy cuestionable, cómo aparecen retratadas las mujeres en esta historia y demás. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Religious bigotry

mai_books27's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book took me by the throat and broke my heart and i still couldn't put it down. The storytelling is atmospheric and phenomenal, the characters are so tangible and human. I cannot recommend this book enough, but due to the weight of the subject matter it's one you have to pick up in your own time. A new favorite, for sure. Violen  but soft and loving, this book is worth every penny. Please read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

jaiari12's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy