Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

25 reviews

m4rtt4's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

A Glaswegian version of A Little Life. So sad, so painful, almost cried and had it been longer I probably would have cried — then again the book felt a bit dragging at times, so I'm glad it wasn't longer (and honestly my heart wouldn't have been able to take it either).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Abortion, Domestic abuse, and Grief

joeykills's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Classism, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Mental illness

orangecasio's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF CSA IS A TRIGGER FOR YOU. 

It’s a beautiful but bitter sorry about late 20th Century Glasgow. It was really lovely seeing where I was born and grew up represented (although at a different time period). I would NOT call this a love story. It’s about two boys in love but saying it’s a love story would be misleading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Child abuse, Violence, Hate crime, Grief, and Alcoholism

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

priceliketag's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Alcohol, Grief, Alcoholism, Rape, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Hate crime

Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty

rebecca_cant_read's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Addiction, Violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Alcohol, Classism, Death, and Pedophilia

cristian13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Sexual assault

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