Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

9 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Such a sad story, though an honest portrayal of alcoholism and addiction. This is about everyone who has fallen through the societal cracks and those whose resilience is more than others can handle. Shuggie is brilliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

ydina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I really wanted to like it. Especially when I heard that it was heart wrenching and somewhat like A Little Life. Maybe it's accurate about that in a sense that both of them are trauma p*rn. just missed the parts where they would talk more about Shuggies sa? Like I think this should have been significant? 

More about anything else than how many beer and vodka Agnes drinks and how deeply disgustingly obsessed she is with men. 

And it took me so long to finish. I always had to pick it up like a task or homework (which it was thanks to our book club, otherwise would've dnfed it, I fear) 

Other than that I still liked the style of writing. It did have his good parts and did make me feel pitiful every now and then. 

Especially when Shuggie was asking his mother why he wasn't enough for her. This somehow got me. But I guess children having a troubled upcoming will always get me. 

All in all I'll give it around three stars I think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is really fucking good. I had read Douglas Stuart’s second novel “Young Mungo” before I read this one and liked it a lot. But this was another level. And I’m glad I didn’t read it before “Young Mungo” because I think I would’ve compared the two and I perhaps wouldn’t have enjoyed his second novel quite as much as I did.

Through the lens of a young queer boy being raised by, and more often taking care of, his alcoholic mother, we explore themes of poverty and addiction.

This book will break your heart… so, of course I loved it. The storytelling is impeccable. The characters are beautifully drawn. Its emotionality burns bright on every page. I highly recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Pedophilia and Fire/Fire injury

feebles640's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Blood

Minor: Drug use and Fire/Fire injury

biggareader's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

lilcoppertop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

laurenw's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Medical content

Minor: Body shaming and Blood

kbc's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

nora__reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Heartbreaking but big hearted, Shuggie Bain is a beautifully written portrayal of the struggles of loving someone with an addiction. 

It is also a portrait of Glasgow in the 80s, at the height of the Thatcher-era when unemployment was everywhere and addiction swiftly followed it.  

Stuart treats the character of Agnes with such care and love, he is both highly critical of her struggle and resigned to cope with it, as well as being tender and gentle with his portrayal. He shows the complexities of loving someone who is intent on destroying themselves. 

This relationship is what drove the story, but in the background of Agnes’s addiction Shuggie was also struggling to understand his sexuality in a deeply homophobic, misogynistic time. 

This book is completely deserving of its Booker prize nomination. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit