readerxan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Sexual harassment, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Addiction, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Bullying, Physical abuse, Outing, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Murder, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, and Death of parent
Big big trigger warning forSpoiler
sexual assault and child abuse.rose_reads_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Abandonment, Violence, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Vomit, Sexual violence, Animal death, Torture, Classism, Bullying, Homophobia, and Animal cruelty
minareadsa19e1's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Child abuse, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Murder, and Pedophilia
andrea_lachance'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
4.0
The beginning of the book is slow going, trying to parce who's-who and what exactly is going on takes time. The second half really kicks into gear with gut-wrenching revelations. Mungo is a babe in the woods, and this book beats the innocence out of Mungo in the worst possible ways.
It's a good read. An important read. There are probably people with much better reviews for this book, this is me spitballing.
Personally, the detailed descriptions for characters dealing with alcoholism were so tough for me to read because it was so realistic. It's horrifying what kinds of details one notices when a body is so ravaged by alcohol abuse.
I give it a 4.5 because the emotions I went through reading this book were so viceral, and for me personally that's one of the most important things a book like this can do.
Spoiler
Mungo's relationship with his mom is codependent, incestuous, and emotionally abusive. This book speaks volumes about class and poverty directly impact the cycle of abuse in families. It's painful to read about, especially when it takes the whole book and Mungo being violently assaulted twice for Mungo to realize that his mother will never love him the way he loves her. It's brutal. The phone call between Gallowgate and his mother was such a horrid moment of realization for me.The glimmer of hope at the end is a sigh of relief. The ride in the car with the nice man was a reprieve. Poor Mungo isn't young when he comes home. He knows his family will never be the same, Josie will go to college and never come back, Mo-maw will keep drinking and being with whatever man will give her attention, and Hamish will keep stirring shit with the Catholics. So he leaves. We don't get to know where. But he's choosing to break the cycle of abuse.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Drug use, and Misogyny
Minor: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Pedophilia
fluffy1st's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Toxic relationship
galerieanna25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Homophobia
tarsier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Blood, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Abortion
Minor: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
rachpach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Abortion, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Murder, and Sexual violence
jancaissemal's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Violence