Scan barcode
rattus_rattus's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Violence, and Alcoholism
Minor: Classism
karitu3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Blood, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Violence, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence
soapfaced's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Child abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Animal cruelty
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Abandonment, Abortion, Kidnapping, Addiction, Confinement, Physical abuse, Bullying, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Classism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Murder, Domestic abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
lilycouper's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty
hanhantap'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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Hate crime, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Ableism, Rape, Abortion, and Classism
Minor: Drug use
brittonmc1221's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Outing, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Abortion
mona_ambt's review against another edition
I am unfortunately unable to finish Young Mungo because it's too emotionally challenging and I'm so not in the right state of mind for it, but i do want to know the ending. (Probably means I'll never come around to reading A Little Life either, which is sad)
I went into it not really knowing what it's about and maybe, just maybe I should've thought of checking the trigger warnings.
With all that said, this book follows the story of Mungo in Glasgow. He meets James with whom he falls in love, or feels an illicit attraction for. He is sent away to a fishing week-end with 2 men from the AA, after being found out by his mother.
The story is cut into two times intermingling: Mungo and James's meeting and the week-end away.
I quickly enough got attached to the characters and their (ever-present) struggles and I could have cried too many times to be counted.
If you want to be sad and revolted against the whole world, read Young Mungo.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Rape, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, and Abortion
jkneebone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In the shorter timeline - the 'after' - Mungo is sent by Mo-Maw on a fishing trip with two men she knows from AA. Calling themselves St Christopher and Gallowgate, they take Mungo on a multi-bus journey to a remote loch. The men are former convicts and heavy alcoholics, but only after Mungo is there does he realize the real danger he might be in.
I read this for a book club, as it is not the kind of book I would pick up normally, and though I was glad to have the chance to branch out, it was still not my cup of tea. I think it was well written, if perhaps a tad longer than it needed to be (although despite the length, it felt like a quick read; the writing was very engaging). All of the characters were so well developed and interesting, even if most of them were more unlikable than not. The setting was quite vivid as well, although it threw me off that the era wasn't made clear earlier on - maybe there was a hint that I missed, but while I got that it was the 90s eventually, I spent way too much time wondering at the beginning.
Overall I interpreted this as a sort of commentary on poverty and abuse, the cyclical/heritable nature of trauma, and the deep claws of homophobia. Mo-Maw got pregnant young and holds this against her children; we see this pattern playing out with Hamish and Sammy Jo
I'm conflicted about the ending - it definitely improved my feelings on the book overall, but I wish that it hadn't taken so long to get to that point.
Heavy, heavy topics throughout - definitely read the content warnings if you're sensitive about pretty much anything. There is a lot of sad, bad stuff going on.
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Abortion
petyapav's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Bullying, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Murder, Alcohol, Death, and Injury/Injury detail