Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

112 reviews

adrienne_rennie's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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: Blood, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Murder, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abortion, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Animal death

Minor: Pregnancy

blues's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Che viaggio spettacolare. Questo libro mi ha catapultato in una Scozia degli anni 80-90, in un ambiente chiuso, iper-mascolinizzato e religioso (con annesse lotte tra la parte protestante e la parte cristiana) e me l'ha fatto sentire a 360 gradi. Mi ha fatto conoscere Mungo, ma con lui anche tante altre persone con cui sono riuscito ad empatizzare, nonostante questi non fossero sempre personaggi molto positivi. Vediamo questi personaggi sia nei momenti "pieni" di trama, sia in quei momenti di quotidianità (soprattutto Mungo ovviamente), il che ci aiuta molto a capirli meglio, a capire come ragionano e quali sono i loro punti di forza e le loro insicurezze. 
Ho adorato particolarmente tutte le metafore che Douglas Stuart ha utilizzato per descrivere i sentimenti di Mungo e di tutti questi personaggi, facendomi sempre capire appieno la sensazione che voleva trasmettermi. 
Un'altra cosa che ho amato sono le descrizioni degli ambienti: riuscivo davvero a sentirmi dentro ai posti che raccontava. Non solo li vedevo nella mia testa, ma ne sentivo anche gli odori, i rumori e i sapori. Ero davvero insieme ai personaggi.
Questo libro mi ha preso il cuore e me l'ha strappato in mille pezzi, ma mi ha anche lasciato una parte di Mungo, che si muoverà con me ovunque io andrò. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Outing, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Homophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Sexism

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Death, Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Minor: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Grief

stephh's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is probably the best book I've read so far this year. Just like after reading Shuggie, i feel like I'm going to have a massive book hangover that lasts for weeks from this.

Growing up in Glasgow in the 80s is tough for young Mungo; a guy who doesn't quite fit in anywhere: not with his gang-leading brother Hamish, his smart sister Josie or their alcoholic mother. But when he meets James, he finally finds his slot in the world and a solid friend at last. This is a violent story of growing up gay, with Mungo on a journey of self discovery that leads him to a darkness that is hard to read through.

I found at the start that this might be a little too similar to Shuggie, but as the book went on it felt very different. This was a much more violent book where Shuggie was more bleak. It was a really hard read that I had to give myself little breaks from at times, but interspersed between these awful bits were moments of much more happiness than you ever saw in Shuggie. However I felt myself drawn to reading the book - a bit like a car crash you can't help but watch unveil. Reading this is all I thought about for the few days I was reading it, and Douglas Stuart's writing is so incredible that this had to be a 5 star read.
*The book should come with a massive trigger warning for sexual assault and rape.*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Death, and Hate crime

readingatthemuseum's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Death, Animal death, Murder, Rape, Blood, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Misogyny, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Hate crime, Child abuse, Excrement, Drug use, Violence, and Religious bigotry

juliep810's review

dark emotional sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Abortion, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Abandonment, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Outing

parboiledlentils's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Abortion, and Adult/minor relationship

jdrummond's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.5

It took me a bit to get into this, but once the story kicked in, it’s hard to forget Mungo Hamilton and James Jameson. I hope they, and those like them, found their place in the world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Homophobia, Murder, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood, Outing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Cancer, Cursing, and Classism

ladystardust1979's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Outing, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Eating disorder

Minor: Drug use

katcass's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Murder, Outing, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Child abuse, Addiction, Blood, and Abortion

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

steffi_jo'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Homophobia

Moderate: Pedophilia, Mental illness, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Rape, Blood, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Drug use, Death, Miscarriage, and Murder