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raisinflakies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
_shonahenderson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Classism
lucykateburns's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
On the contrast, it was hard not to love Shuggie. I don't know how to sum him up. What child doesn't love their mother? It's hard to grow up and accept that they aren't the heroes you once thought them to be. Parents can be very flawed people and, as in Shuggie's case, so flawed that there is nothing you can do to help them. The whole book felt like a journey into Shuggie's letting go of his mum, he couldn't keep her here for him. I think ultimately letting her go was the best he could have done.
In this sense, the theme of recurring self-harm and inability to recover reminded me of A Little Life, and both share similar endings in this regard. The tragic comparison between Leanne's mother and Shuggie's is something to comment on, but I won't go too much into it. Essentially, it just shows the possible paths alcoholism can lead a woman down, neither of which are positive. For this reason, I think the book has a very depressing overall tone to it, there isn't a fairytale ending but sometimes that is the reality of things. Clearly this was never entirely Agnes' fault, but in the world we live in she didn't have much choice. Eugene must feel eternal guilt.
It is difficult to finish the book and not know where Shuggie ends up, or what exactly the outcome of the journey with his sexuality will be, but I am comforted with his friendship with Leanne. I hope they both find love and happiness.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, and Gaslighting
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
merle98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
sam_w_r's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
amberinbookland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
stayathomereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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🏢 The plot: Shuggie Bain is born in Glasgow to beautiful alcoholic Agnes and philandering taxi driver Big Shug Bain. When Big Shug abandons his family in a mining town decimated by Thatcherism, Agnes’s addiction takes hold, and Shuggie grapples not only with his enduring love and concern for his mother, but with the growing awareness in him and everyone around him that he is not a “normal boy”.
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This is the kind of book that you read and find yourself wondering over and over again if it’s autobiographical, because the characters are so rich and real. It’s not “about” Shuggie Bain in the way that Oliver Twist is “about” Oliver Twist - his adventures and the things that he does - but it is about him in the sense that it’s about the places and the people he comes from, the love and pain informing the decisions that shape his life. Family is at the heart of this novel: the ways in which we inherit things from the people who raise us, but also our separateness as individuals in a fractious society, our inability to be responsible for anyone’s survival but our own. I still don’t know if it’s ultimately optimistic or pessimistic in outlook, but it is moving, and it’s a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time!
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If I had one complaint, it would be that the novel spends so long contextualising Shuggie that you see relatively little of him as a person, particularly as a teenager. It feels a little anticlimactic - but maybe that’s just me longing for a happy ending for this character!
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🏘 Read it if you like character-driven novels that explore hard-hitting social history, written in accessible prose. Also to pick up random bits of Glaswegian slang!
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🚫 BIG avoid if you are sensitive to scenes of rape, assault, alcoholism, and child sexual assault. I would urge anyone doubtful to carefully check TWs before reading as it can get quite graphic. This is also not a very plot-driven book so avoid if that’s not your thing.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
leah_is_dudish's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death, Violence, Vomit, and Death of parent
myhomextheroad's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Excrement