Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

159 reviews

bookdragon137's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

I skimmed this one besties. Will have to go back and read it properly sometime, but I was very much not in the mood for how sad it was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Murder, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Addiction, Outing, and Police brutality

milou125's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Addiction, Hate crime, Violence, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Religious bigotry

owcase's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia

amygower's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Murder, Rape, Homophobia, Hate crime, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse

hannahwishart's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Another heartbreaking story from Douglas Stuart. This was bleak, tense and graphic.
The characters are well fleshed-out - most of them vile - and the setting is immersive. It’s uncomfortable and feels claustrophobic, in the sense that you struggle to imagine how Mungo might ever get out of this environment. Jodie is a protective factor for Mungo despite having her own traumatic events. I liked that there were a few supportive male characters who appeared to show Mungo kindness, empathy and safety, e.g chickie, Calum. I also enjoyed the development of Mungo and James’ relationship.
The cultural references were interesting, as was the portrayal of sectarianism and gang violence.
This book covers very heavy topics in graphic detail but I didn’t feel it was done in a tasteless, sensational way. 
I struggled somewhat with the timeline at times and I felt that the ending wasn’t completely clear - maybe that’s just me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy and Abortion

Minor: Death of parent

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.0

I think the author may have had a very sad life based on the two books I’ve now read. But both those one and Shuggie Bains have great protagonists - young men with the deck stacked against them since birth but who continue to learn their value and insist that they matter and eventually figure out how to hang into the most important part of themselves.

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Content Warnings

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

rdempster1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Hate crime, and Alcoholism

tomatoguts's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

I am very sad that I have finished this book. Will be thinking about it for a long time. I am going to miss checking in on the characters. Sad and beautiful. Mostly devastating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Rape

mona_ambt's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

DNF at p238 (end of chap 16)

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.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Rape, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, and Abortion

vidyasargeant's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Rape, Grief, Abortion, Addiction, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Outing, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent