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als_adventures's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Great. Really great. Very effectively covers the fun of growing up and finding your place- drink and drugs, then how you have to move on from that. The escape from home, and the inevitable return to find everyone stuck. No matter how hard you fight to move on from your past, there will always be people there to pull you back in to it.
mellllellel's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
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
4.0
memydogandbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is full of swagger!
SYNOPSIS:
This is a coming-of-age story set in a violent Glasgow gang culture. Azzy Williams joins a gang in his teens (2004) and experiences the brutality, drugs, and yearning for escape that defines his youth. The story follows him until 2012, where he fights for a different future.
MY THOUGHTS:
SYNOPSIS:
This is a coming-of-age story set in a violent Glasgow gang culture. Azzy Williams joins a gang in his teens (2004) and experiences the brutality, drugs, and yearning for escape that defines his youth. The story follows him until 2012, where he fights for a different future.
MY THOUGHTS:
- Written in Lanarkshire Scots for those less au-fait with this Scots language it can take a page or two to get into, I couldn't imagine it written any other way. Like Trainspotting it's part of the story-telling.
- Armstrong's fictional story, based on his real-life experiences, is a gut punch, it's brutal, it's heartwarming, tragic, terrifying, powerful and poetic.
- It gives a candid insight into Scottish young people's life in gangs, their need for a sense of belonging and to feel included in life when around them is a world of hopelessness and exclusion.
- This book made me laugh but it also made my jaw drop as you emotionally follow Azzy and his pals through tribulation of gang and drug culture.
- Armstrong's writing is poetic, some of the scenes where his main character Azzy is getting high on party drugs and going to raves are just so immersive, and similarly, when he writes about Azzy's drug withdrawal you can't help but feel you are going through it with him.
- Rightly deemded the Trainspotting book for the next generation this is a powerful story that will stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
sadhecrts's review against another edition
4.5
“It’s not that shite being Scottish, Irvine.” COULDNAE HAVE SAID IT BETTER MASELF.
as someone from bellshill reading this in my fourth year of an english degree, it was very very appreciated.
as someone from bellshill reading this in my fourth year of an english degree, it was very very appreciated.
kookikrissie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
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
wintrovia's review against another edition
5.0
A coming of age story about a young man that is involved in the gang culture in a Scottish housing scheme. It's brutal, unpleasant but enjoyable to read anyway. It was no surprise to read in the author blurb that Armstrong was inspired to write after reading Irvine Welsh as there are lots of similarities between the two but that's not a bad thing in my opinion.
persephonexxvi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sslovesbooks_1's review against another edition
5.0
This coming of age story is a debut from the author and gives voice to some of the boys and young men in central Scotland. Seeking security and friendship with the Young Team we witness Azzy Williams find his feet and start to understand the norms of gang culture in his local community. However, this is so much more, it's a multi-layered story and Azzy’s journey takes the reader through an energetic, at times frenetic read with both tension and humour and wit flung in there for good measure.
This book, written in local dialect allowed me to immerse myself in the lives of the characters, I read at the same time listening to the author narrating his own work which I think was such a great experience for me. I was watching these characters navigate the community they were brought up in and as a resident of North Lanarkshire I recognised so many of the boys on the pages and the setting was so familiar. “the Campsies” seen from my bedroom window are always there and Armstrong is bang on when he describes them as a sense of navigation in and out of Glasgow from this side of the city.
Azzy and his Young Team provide a sense of belonging for each other as they share experiences in drink, drugs, raves, and violence. Within are some of the best descriptions I have read about the impact of drugs on a person's body and mind and made from some devastating reading. However, there was such humour in the writing, the patter, the clothes, the “sheepy sheep”, the “jaggies” are amongst some of the bits that made me laugh out loud.
There are so many social themes in this book. Poverty, drugs, alcohol. violence, mental health, family, community, territory, working-class experiences, west of Scotland masculinity – such a backdrop to Azzy Williams’ personal journey. I am still thinking about Azzy’s inner thoughts and emotions and his understanding of himself and those around him, they are not what many people assume boys like Azzy are like. As a teacher in this area, I have seen the potential in many real life Azzys, I have believed in their potential and told them I believed, in the hope that they would listen. There is hope in this book, there are good people who only want the best for their friends and families, they understand to love them is to let them go.
I feel quite sad to be leaving Azzy Williams, he has left an imprint on my heart. I hope he is living his best life wherever that may be.
This book, written in local dialect allowed me to immerse myself in the lives of the characters, I read at the same time listening to the author narrating his own work which I think was such a great experience for me. I was watching these characters navigate the community they were brought up in and as a resident of North Lanarkshire I recognised so many of the boys on the pages and the setting was so familiar. “the Campsies” seen from my bedroom window are always there and Armstrong is bang on when he describes them as a sense of navigation in and out of Glasgow from this side of the city.
Azzy and his Young Team provide a sense of belonging for each other as they share experiences in drink, drugs, raves, and violence. Within are some of the best descriptions I have read about the impact of drugs on a person's body and mind and made from some devastating reading. However, there was such humour in the writing, the patter, the clothes, the “sheepy sheep”, the “jaggies” are amongst some of the bits that made me laugh out loud.
There are so many social themes in this book. Poverty, drugs, alcohol. violence, mental health, family, community, territory, working-class experiences, west of Scotland masculinity – such a backdrop to Azzy Williams’ personal journey. I am still thinking about Azzy’s inner thoughts and emotions and his understanding of himself and those around him, they are not what many people assume boys like Azzy are like. As a teacher in this area, I have seen the potential in many real life Azzys, I have believed in their potential and told them I believed, in the hope that they would listen. There is hope in this book, there are good people who only want the best for their friends and families, they understand to love them is to let them go.
I feel quite sad to be leaving Azzy Williams, he has left an imprint on my heart. I hope he is living his best life wherever that may be.
mostlyreadingthings's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
hanolifar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75