Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

37 reviews

readingslumpx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Drug use, Bullying, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, and Sexual harassment

nikkibisbee's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

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

aoifereadsbooks69's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Drug abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Grief, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Sexism

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

feebles640's review

dark sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Self harm, Vomit, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Body shaming

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Drug use

j32em's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

5.0

Shuggie ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

raisinflakies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Self harm, Misogyny, Grief, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Abandonment, Cursing, Drug use, Drug abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Medical content, Racism, Transphobia, and Vomit

ivyleiff'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Death, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Infidelity

biggareader's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt