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A review by gayatriii
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
5.0
I'm not one for overtly emotional drivel. I can sense it when a book is written to elicit an emotional response and I will not fall prey to that manipulation. But what I've realised I am a sucker for, is earnest, vulnerable, honest writing that does not have an agenda. It is what it is. Shuggie is so vividly told. It's so charming. It's so funny. And it's so painful. But it's not manipulative. It's not vulgar or grotesque in its details and it's very much a respectful recap of someone's life, and your emotions are your responsibility.
That's not to say that this is an easy read. The punches keep coming, relentlessly. There's substance abuse, rape, emotional abuse, suicide, bullying, exploitation, poverty, near constant alcoholism, death, despair, profound sadness... I had to stop reading halfway through because I was ill and just could not put myself through it. And the fact that it's all being told by a child...
Would I recommend this book? Some of us are masochistic, so yeah maybe. Just writing this review and remembering some parts of the book has made me a little bit sad. I would recommend this book just for everybody to experience that kind of impact...
That's not to say that this is an easy read. The punches keep coming, relentlessly. There's substance abuse, rape, emotional abuse, suicide, bullying, exploitation, poverty, near constant alcoholism, death, despair, profound sadness... I had to stop reading halfway through because I was ill and just could not put myself through it. And the fact that it's all being told by a child...
Would I recommend this book? Some of us are masochistic, so yeah maybe. Just writing this review and remembering some parts of the book has made me a little bit sad. I would recommend this book just for everybody to experience that kind of impact...