Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

90 reviews

klaloha's review against another edition

sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Homophobia, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent, Abortion, and Bullying

lauraevelyn's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Addiction, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

remimicha's review against another edition

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

sarajain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

2.5

I want to begin with some serious trigger warnings.  GRAPHIC rape scenes. If you are a victim of abuse or SA, please read with caution. The writing was incredibly detailed during these scenes. I'm honestly suprised most reviews don't even mention this issue.  It's pretty disturbing to read and I struggled to complete this book.

The rest of the content is fine, it's very relatable as a queer story,  the alienation, the bullying, the danger of being a gay teen is well captured. The characters are well written and I enjoyed the snippets of humour throughout.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, and Bullying

Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Addiction

theyseemeyolin's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Violence, Abortion, and Emotional abuse

jessi_s's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty

madread8's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Murder

Minor: Abortion and Animal cruelty

jasminrain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

This book shattered me but it's also one of the best books I've read in a while. It's a brilliant, yet extremely heavy description of what it was like to grow up queer and working class in Glasgow. One should definitely check the content warnings before reading this book as it's a very challenging read at times. and it touches upon so many different forms of hardship. At the same time, I think it's a brilliant description of queer love, poverty and what life in Scotland was like back in the day. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Sexual harassment, Outing, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Alcohol, Cursing, Addiction, Death, Rape, Blood, Homophobia, Violence, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Bullying

Moderate: Abortion, Miscarriage, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Pregnancy