A review by librarywonders
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

challenging hopeful sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The themes of this book intersects with the themes of Stuart's previous book, Shuggie Bain - there's alcoholism, poverty, neglect, abuse. And there's a young, gay boy, trying to find his way in all of it. This book, however, is more explicit in its detailing of 1990s sectarian Glasgow and the all too pervasive homophobia. It was in many ways a devastating read. The experiences forced upon Mungo. The hyper masculine ideals that he tries his hardest to evade and not internalise. But it was also, in a way that I didn't feel Shuggie Bain was, a hopeful read. It can seem hard to imagine how, going through all that Young Mungo goes through, one can continue to both fight back and remain loving and believing in them self. But Mungo, in many ways, manages to do this. He refuses to let other people's convictions taint his feelings and hopes and wants. And that makes reading through all of the truly horrendous things portrayed in this story worth it in a way I maybe, looking back now, did miss in Stuart's first book.  
  
  
Once again I cannot recommend enough listening to the audiobook version of this story if it's available to you. The narration really adds to the experience ✨  
  
  
Thank you to @netgalley and @recordedbooks for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
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