Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

20 reviews

foxglovefairy's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.5

Extremely sad story of alcoholism and its devastating familial, social, and economic effects. A portrayal of parenting your parent and the love and strength it takes to never give up on those whose present and futures are wrought with addiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Classism, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Rape, Homophobia, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Cursing, and Alcohol

satinnite's review against another edition

Just couldn't get into it. It is very graphic and dark. By the first chapter you have paedophilia, abuse, drugs and prostitution. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

doramag's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, and Death of parent

aw_katie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Excrement, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual assault, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Bullying, Rape, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Homophobia, Classism, Vomit, Self harm, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime

mrslsmith's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Vomit, Addiction, Rape, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

rachelhodgkins's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicide, Racial slurs, Homophobia, and Bullying

bw23's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.75

Well written, excellent portraiture of alcoholism but a slow tough read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Self harm, Mental illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Rape, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

mj_trearty's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 This is not an easy read but it is a very worthwhile read.

The book focuses on the Bain family, mainly Shuggie, the youngest son, and Agnes his alcoholic mother, living in 80s and early 90s Glasgow. It shows the desperation of many without work due to the mines closing and the fall of the ship building industry amongst others. What life was like in the council houses and tenements and how it was dealing with alcoholism.

The character of Shuggie does not fit in, smaller and more effeminate than other boys, he is bullied throughout his life while having to deal with hunger and desperation as his mother spent the dole and child support on cans of Special Brew. All he wants is his mum to get better and if he tries hard enough she will, in his young mind that is enough.

This is a beautifully crafted and harrowing account that brought tears to the eye on more than one occasion., definitely one of the best books I have read in years.

I think this line sums it up "the more you love someone the more they take the p**s out of that. They will do less and less of what ye want and more and more of just as the f****n' please." That is definitely how life was for Shuggie 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Rape, Self harm, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

laindarko2's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Self harm, Addiction, Bullying, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Death, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Racial slurs and Injury/Injury detail

lhodgson26's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This was such a depressing and difficult book to read, however it was an important one. The power alcohol has over someone especially someone who is trying to escape sadness is truly heartbreaking. The awful men and boys who abused Shuggie and Agnes and the lack of support Agnes had. The false hope they were all given when Agnes had been sober for a year to only be let down by Eugene peer pressuring her to drink into another spiral. The strength and heartbreak Link and Catherine both had to escape and try make something of themselves but leave behind their mum and Shuggie. This really was a tough read which had an endless cycle of tragedy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief