Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

15 reviews

remimicha's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Abortion, Ableism, Abandonment, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Classism, Bullying, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Child abuse, Blood, Animal death, Murder, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Homophobia, Hate crime, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Infidelity

notthatcosta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

3.75

This was a book of two halves for me. I loved it as an ethnography slice of life from the East End of Glasgow in the 90s, which I found very interesting. The characters were very well fleshed out and the 'world' felt incredibly vivid and visceral. Douglas Stuart is clearly very talented at world building. 

However, the flashes forward to the plot at the loch veered into misery porn in a way that felt unnecessary. I hate the countryside as much as it is, and I don't feel like the events that transpired really added anything to the book, nor did it really inform the plot. I feel like it would have been a total triumph had it completely erased that sub plot, including the ending.

Overall the excellent parts outweigh the part I resented having to read, and I'm keen to read Shuggie Bain off the back of this.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Misogyny, Rape, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Gore, Pregnancy, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Grief, and Violence

mai_books27's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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 took me by the throat and broke my heart and i still couldn't put it down. The storytelling is atmospheric and phenomenal, the characters are so tangible and human. I cannot recommend this book enough, but due to the weight of the subject matter it's one you have to pick up in your own time. A new favorite, for sure. Violen  but soft and loving, this book is worth every penny. Please read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Death, Outing, Murder, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Rape, Police brutality, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Sexism

pierrojenesais's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“Young Mungo” creates a great depiction of how toxic masculinity treats young boys in society. My love for Mungo is deeper than a fictional character should be able to make me feel. But his love and suffering feels too real and I can’t help it. He will surely haunt my mind for a long time.
Also this book stomped on my heart so many times I felt like it couldn’t get worse. It did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Death, Abandonment, Pedophilia, and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Abortion, and Domestic abuse

audrxyg's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Rape, Violence, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

hypocrisis's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

felt like i was being wrung out like a wet towel, truly gut wrenching passages in there which is why i had to shelve it for a couple of months before reading the second half. there are beautiful moments of hope but you never get to savour them as the inevitable next chapter looms over peaceful scenes like a dark cloud. 
what i love about stuart's work is the realistically complex full characterisation of the families in his books, once again the mother figure sticks out in this regard. definitely worth a read if you can stomach it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Alcoholism, Addiction, Violence, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Torture, Sexual assault, Murder, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Bullying, Alcohol, Vomit, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Rape, Blood, Classism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Outing, Excrement, Domestic abuse, Abortion, and Infidelity

Minor: Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

pstillbejeweled's review against another edition

Well, I was looking for romance and this was not for me. RARELY happy a moment. Of course, I have read the reviews and TWs but there are MORE disturbing contents than I expected, my wee heart cannae take it 💔 the timeline shift is jarring and doesn't add anything to the novel btw 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Bullying, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, and Child abuse

jacq_s's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Absolutely heartbreaking and upsetting despite the wonderful writing. Read the trigger warnings, violent and terrible with small bits of beauty. I’m still processing how I feel about this book. It did rattle me and move me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Gore, Pedophilia, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Rape, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Classism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Outing, Abortion, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug abuse

aleksanski's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Violence, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Outing

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

oyveyori's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Addiction, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Adult/minor relationship