Reviews

The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong

erinmcentegart's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

Feels like a new addition to the essential canon of Scottish literature. Stories like this need to be told, and they need to be read, and I’m glad Graeme Armstrong told it so beautifully. His characters and story feels so real because they clearly are, and for that this story is one that is impossible not to connect with and remember for a very long time.

bluebird1927's review against another edition

dark reflective 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? Yes

5.0

callummclelland's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

amygraham's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

doroandr's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense

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

3.25

forget_me_knots's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

larryleex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad 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

4.5

debs2282's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

yer_real_da's review against another edition

funny hopeful informative reflective 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

4.0

Wit a book. For a debut novel, Armstrong knocks it oot eh park. Azzy is a compelling protagonist and his ensemble, while hard tae tell apart at first, are a great team. As someone who grew up  and lives in a scheme everything in this book rings true to the sort of stuff I'd see the elder troops doing back in eh day. It's also cracking seeing somecunt shamelessly writing in Scots, no being feart of eh backlash that can come wae it; clearly a wee something picked up fae his hero Irvine. The book slows doon a bit during the rave stage. I was a bit eckied oot after watching Human Traffic and reading Skagboys so having to go through getting telt how ecstasy makes you "feel the love, man" was making me ready tae skip it. The last half of the book however is probably the best part, A'm the same age as Azzy at this point in the book and it's all so real. Must-read for anycunt that was around for the YT culture of the 00s whether ye were about it or no, cannae wait for future English teachers to shove this doon wains' throats instead of Carol Anne Duffy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Classism, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Addiction, Death of parent, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Drug use

Moderate: Suicide and Addiction

readeranon12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny slow-paced

4.5