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melwheelz's review against another edition
- 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
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
ceola's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Vomit, Alcoholism, Bullying, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Hate crime, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Child abuse, Cursing, and Sexual assault
foxglovefairy's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
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
stephh's review against another edition
- 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
Shuggie's a young boy in the early 80s living in Glasgow just after Thatcher has closed the mines. His mother Agnes is an alcoholic and, despite Shuggie's best efforts, they live a tumultuous life together with his grandparents, father and older brother and sister. We watch Shuggie grow up across the book and learn to navigate a world that's stacked against him throughout his childhood.
I feel like I can't do justice to just how good this book was. It's given me one of the biggest book hangovers I've ever had, and has been all I can think about for a good week now. I found that, although the book was dark and gloomy, there was always a thread of hope running through it keeping you going. I'm not usually a fan of a book where a lot of the main characters are flawed, but this one was so incredibly well written that I loved following the entire Bain family. I can't wait to read Young Mungo now, and see if that lives up to the lofty heights of this.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Pedophilia
knowledgeable_but_stupid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, and Rape
aw_katie's review against another edition
- 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
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
josiee123's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Rape, Alcoholism, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
alicefaye_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
mj_trearty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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
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