leeleemc 's review for:

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

5.0

challenging 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

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Favourite read of the year! I truly did not want it to end and even slowed down the audiobook (which I recommend, as it was really immersive!). Beautiful prose, complicated relationships, some of the best villains ever. The themes were dealt with sensitively and accurately: queer identity, masculine identity, addiction, family dynamics, politics, exploitation, poverty, abuse. It was devastating, yet somehow hopeful. Douglas Stuart does not shy away from tough topics and deserves all the awards.