A review by fionag
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Just finished and I genuinely don’t know what to say. I haven’t read the (in)famous Shuggie Bain yet so this is my first foray into Stuart’s writing. First of all, the writing is impeccable. Throughout this novel I have felt for Mungo with my entire body, and found it incredibly difficult to continue reading when things got dark. And they certainly do get dark. Please read trigger warnings as this is unrelenting. The characterisation was fantastic, some sentences had me gasping at their beauty, and the relationship between Mungo and James had burrowed its way into my heart. At the same time, I don’t feel I can give this 5 stars due to how utterly drained and empty I feel after listening to the last chapter. Read if: you love complex characters with heartbreaking relationships, fragile masculinity, working class tales with religious bigotry and violence, gorgeous tales of first love, harrowing tales of survival and loss of innocence, and open endings with a glimmer of hope. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings