Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

260 reviews

jasonmango's review against another edition

2.0

This book was too brutal for me, I think it's one of the most violent books I've ever read and I really struggled to get through it. The depictions of abuse are pretty harrowing and visceral and I had to brace myself to listen to more of it. That said, I really liked the narrator, and I liked learning a bit more about Glasgow and the social issues and history and the characters have somewhat stuck with me, but more by force than anything else lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

imsaneipromise's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I don't understand people who compare this book to a little life, or say this is what it was trying to be. I haven't read a little life but I know it was written with intent to be gratuitous trauma porn. That's not what young Mungo is, or is trying to be. 

A book about a young gay boy growing up in the east end of Glasgow in the 90s was always going to be sad and difficult, because life was sad and difficult. It wasn't about writing something shocking and upsetting, it was about writing something real. Lots of people are saying the descriptions of violence were unnecessarily explicit, but isn't that one of the things that made you feel so deeply while you were reading it? 

I'm of the opinion that some of the best books are ones that elicit visceral responses, because you can literally feel the impact being had on you. I cried while I read this book, and felt joy and heartbreak and despair and hope. 

Aside from that, I read this book in two parts because life got in the way, and ended up spending a lot of time in Glasgow in between. It was pretty special to read a book that started off as pure fiction, then continued with being able to imagine the characters standing in those real life places where I'd also stood, or how the sun bounces off the tenements, or how the close stinks of piss. 

I think the ending is so fitting too. The happiness and hope of knowing James is alive and finally leaving, paired with the anxiety and foreboding of the police sniffing around about the two deaths, not knowing if Mungo will join James, if Mungo will ever leave the east end. Life has no certainty,

 and as a brutally honest book it stays true to itself to the very end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion

moranguinhos's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

carinaantonia's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Outing, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

lugalante's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

4.0

Really very sad, wish the ending had been more conclusive. Good or bad, just give me something.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Abortion, and Murder

vaenadal's review

dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual assault

cecereads__'s review against another edition

4.5

It took me a while to fully get into this story and have some of these characters get under my skin. I thought it was tender and beautiful and raw and hopeful - and shattering as well, let’s be honest. Some ppl don’t get what they “deserve (not that it can be quantified or sth like that but more karma-wise, good and bad, iykyk).
I don’t want to compare it to Shuggie Bain though there are many crossovers. However, I feel like the author has honed in on his craft and found sth that works for him. I’d like to think I could tell of a progression.
Themes of neglect, isolation, violence and alcoholism to be aware of. 

I hope to f**k Mungo and James are enjoying a quiet and happy life together. And that Jodie is at Uni living it tf up and finally on her own

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sky130's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

A gut punch of a book. Merciless but not sadistic, Young Mungo unfurls in a vicious elegy of poverty, patriarchy, and addiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

hannah_go03's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

little_angler's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book destroyed me. The characters were captivating and story beautifully written. It was a heartbreaking read, but worth the struggle getting to the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism and Violence