Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

266 reviews

kieranjones's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol

natalie28'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Child abuse, and Death of parent

wiktoria_bojda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm, and Rape

dionosaur's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Vomit

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

kiirsttyb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism

danielleboldry's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

3.75

a brutal and devastating tale of addiction, abuse, poverty and familial responsibility. every character is so well written and fleshed out entirely. my heart aches for the children at the heart of this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

ladystardust1979's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt

ydina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I really wanted to like it. Especially when I heard that it was heart wrenching and somewhat like A Little Life. Maybe it's accurate about that in a sense that both of them are trauma p*rn. just missed the parts where they would talk more about Shuggies sa? Like I think this should have been significant? 

More about anything else than how many beer and vodka Agnes drinks and how deeply disgustingly obsessed she is with men. 

And it took me so long to finish. I always had to pick it up like a task or homework (which it was thanks to our book club, otherwise would've dnfed it, I fear) 

Other than that I still liked the style of writing. It did have his good parts and did make me feel pitiful every now and then. 

Especially when Shuggie was asking his mother why he wasn't enough for her. This somehow got me. But I guess children having a troubled upcoming will always get me. 

All in all I'll give it around three stars I think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Addiction, Alcoholism, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Death, Sexual content, Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Blood, Body shaming, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, and Outing

eleanorareads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Rape

melwheelz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, Abandonment, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Death