Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

113 reviews

remimicha's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Abortion, Ableism, Abandonment, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Classism, Bullying, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Child abuse, Blood, Animal death, Murder, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Homophobia, Hate crime, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Infidelity

maggiemaryamos's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Murder, Physical abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Torture

notthatcosta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? No

3.25

This was a book of two halves for me. I loved it as an ethnography slice of life from the East End of Glasgow in the 90s, which I found very interesting. The characters were very well fleshed out and the 'world' felt incredibly vivid and visceral. Douglas Stuart is clearly very talented at world building. 

However, the flashes forward to the plot at the loch veered into misery porn in a way that felt unnecessary. I hate the countryside as much as it is, and I don't feel like the events that transpired really added anything to the book, nor did it really inform the plot. I feel like it would have been a total triumph had it completely erased that sub plot, including the ending.

Overall the excellent parts outweigh the part I resented having to read, and I'm keen to read Shuggie Bain off the back of this.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Animal death, Alcohol, Sexism, Child abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, Homophobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Body horror, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Rape, and Sexual assault

pierrojenesais's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

“Young Mungo” creates a great depiction of how toxic masculinity treats young boys in society. My love for Mungo is deeper than a fictional character should be able to make me feel. But his love and suffering feels too real and I can’t help it. He will surely haunt my mind for a long time.
Also this book stomped on my heart so many times I felt like it couldn’t get worse. It did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Death, Abandonment, Pedophilia, and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Abortion, and Domestic abuse

jaiari12's review

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

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

johannamrr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

first of all, this book needs a fucking content warning jesus christ
anywayyy, the pacing was a bit off for the first 150 pages in my opinion bc nothing happened and it was getting slightly boring imo 
the writing is great though it‘s just the plot (and how graphic it is) that I struggled with
also, this book is advertised in such a weird way?? like people need to start making it clear when a book is as violent as this one is because they really didn‘t and I don‘t like when stuff like this is being jumped on me (my bad for not looking up the content warnings first, i guess)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Violence, Abandonment, Murder, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Abortion, and Physical abuse

sandysmith'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A compelling read, beautifully but brutally written. It should come with trigger warnings as to say it is gritty and raw is an understatement. The books main character, Mungo, lives in Glasgow with his disfunctional family, his sister Jodie, and his absent (much of the time) alcoholic mother mo maw (Maureen). His elder brother Hamish (ho haw) is a protestant gang leader. Mungo falls in love with James, a Catholic, and the relationship is developed wonderfully. West Side story meets Romeo and Juliette. Set in 2 timelines, the developing relationship with James, and a fishing trip with strangers. Homophobia is rife. Raw, gut-wrenching, moving, heart-felt, belter of a story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Abortion, Animal death, Child abuse, Rape, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, and Physical abuse

lilyaforbes's review

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Blood and Violence

leahcatching's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual content, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Violence

annika_j's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence