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kayarosee's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Blood, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Alcohol, Murder, Homophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Rape, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Pedophilia
readingatthemuseum's review against another edition
- 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
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
notthatcosta's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
tashmachin's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Pedophilia
Minor: Excrement
hypocrisis's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
what i love about stuart's work is the realistically complex full characterisation of the families in his books, once again the mother figure sticks out in this regard. definitely worth a read if you can stomach it!
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Blood, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Rape, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Torture, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Violence, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Abortion, Domestic abuse, Outing, Excrement, Infidelity, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
skudiklier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
It's written well, and Mungo is a likable and sympathetic character (especially his autism, which I immediately related to). But overall this book is just too sad, dark, and upsetting to me. I didn't get enough out of it for the darkness to be worth it. I might have DNF'd it if it wasn't for a book club I'm hosting; the time pressure was my only real motivation to keep reading. I didn't even necessarily want to know what would happen, because I knew it wouldn't be good.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, Ableism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Abortion, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child death, Classism, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Outing, Infidelity, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Fatphobia
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
What it did do, however, was reinforce my love for romance novels because the amount of despair & anguish that poor Mungo goes through is too much for my poor heart. Seems I can only take one piece of contemporary fiction like Young Mungo each year! Thankfully it ended on a somewhat hopeful note, otherwise I don't know how I would have coped.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Excrement and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent
owenwilsonbaby's review
- 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
4.25
I loved this! It was sad and brutal but not without beauty. I think it avoided a lot of sentimentality in romance by focusing on the physical and the unglamorous, and then working hard to draw out the tenderness within that realism. The imagery and lyricism made this a beautiful, if slightly dense, novel.
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual violence, Addiction, Animal death, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Bullying, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
kato_dg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Murder, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Rape, Blood, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug use, Cursing, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
alisonannk's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Outing, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Excrement, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, and Terminal illness
Minor: Fatphobia