A review by npolanchik
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

dark emotional sad medium-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

4.0

At its core, this is a story about a son’s unwavering love for his mother despite trauma inflicted from relapses with alcohol. It’s a very sad book and Stuart’s writing is poetic. 

I wanted to read this book because of its attributes to LGBTQ+ youth. This theme ebbs throughout the book but doesn’t feel like it’s explicitly touched on - and maybe that’s the beauty of it. 

At times this book feels slow, but the writing is so encapsulating, you want to continue. I see why this has such acclaim but slow plot and tons of Scottish slang that confused me didn’t make it a 5-star read for me. 
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