Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

91 reviews

sha's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.5

The descriptions in this especially when they “suck their teeth” 🤢🤮

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Addiction, and Body horror

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Addiction, Self harm, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, and Mental illness

burnourhistory's review against another edition

dark sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Vomit, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Such a sad story, though an honest portrayal of alcoholism and addiction. This is about everyone who has fallen through the societal cracks and those whose resilience is more than others can handle. Shuggie is brilliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Outing, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Rape, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, War, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Vomit

graecus_'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

so so good. love this book. very emotional, i was very much feeling things after i finished this book. watching shuggie grow up was absolutely heart wrenching. all of the characters were immaculately written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Bullying, Rape, and Homophobia

isabelboswinkel's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Drug use, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Vomit, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

mrs_v's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

Shuggie grows up in the projects of Scotland with his alcoholic mother. Shuggie begins to realize he is gay.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying and Toxic relationship

ydina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I really wanted to like it. Especially when I heard that it was heart wrenching and somewhat like A Little Life. Maybe it's accurate about that in a sense that both of them are trauma p*rn. just missed the parts where they would talk more about Shuggies sa? Like I think this should have been significant? 

More about anything else than how many beer and vodka Agnes drinks and how deeply disgustingly obsessed she is with men. 

And it took me so long to finish. I always had to pick it up like a task or homework (which it was thanks to our book club, otherwise would've dnfed it, I fear) 

Other than that I still liked the style of writing. It did have his good parts and did make me feel pitiful every now and then. 

Especially when Shuggie was asking his mother why he wasn't enough for her. This somehow got me. But I guess children having a troubled upcoming will always get me. 

All in all I'll give it around three stars I think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Addiction, Alcoholism, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Death, Sexual content, Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Blood, Body shaming, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, and Outing

melwheelz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, Abandonment, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Death

_georgiasmith's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Homophobia, Death of parent, Bullying, Addiction, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

bethtrigg's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Rape, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Sexism, and Violence