A review by mugan
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Sadly this book did not impress me. The content is bleak, grim, depressing and tough to comprehend. But this isn't what I disliked about the book. The straightforward narrative of alcohol abuse, rape, domestic abuse and the tale of Shuggie attempting to grow made the book gut wrenching and harrowing but the writing style felt so stagnant. It felt like the characters were in a stasis, a never ending cycle and it just got repetitive and boring, which really took away from the depressing monologue the author had created.
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