Review by slopesofdragonmount - Young Mungo

slopesofdragonmount 's review for:

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

5.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

I originally stopped reading this book, and wrote the folllowing about it:

This is an incredible novel which is also excruciatingly hard to read.

It doesn't balance its tone as much as it flip-flops in the extremes. For 90% of the novel, you're reading about some really sad, depressing and disgusting events. This is wonderfully juxtaposed with the beauty of being on the point of view of someone who is so caring, and so capable of love. I lack the words to describe why this book works so well.

This book was so resonant and so emotionally draining that I could not bear read its last chapters. It got to a point around the middle chapters where I could not read 5 paragraphs and not tear up. I don't want to see what I already know to happen, due to the book's structure, happen, and that should be read as praise.

I have now finished the the book, and my same overall feelings still stand. This is an incredible piece of literature that crams every ounce of beauty and horror in each sentence.

Everyone that can get themselves through it should read it. I feel as though this is an important work of literature.

Content Warnings