Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

70 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

readbycarina's review against another edition

Too dark for my mood right now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Infidelity

Minor: Homophobia and Pregnancy

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

dionosaur's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Vomit

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

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

ceola's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Alcoholism, Bullying, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Hate crime, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Child abuse, Cursing, and Sexual assault

jennyspencer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Addiction, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt

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

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