Reviews tagging 'Death'

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

121 reviews

nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

heart-shattering. so beautiful. I want to lie down and cry. The tenderness of life’s oddest and most difficult moments that Douglas Stuart somehow captures! the most memorable characters that he stamps on my heart

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Excrement, Abortion, Pregnancy, Outing, and Alcohol

diegocanread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Gobsmacked! This book tore me down built me up and tore me down again. I just finished it and don’t have any words. Not for the faint of heart

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Abortion, and Outing

lenamarjam's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

whoisskadii's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Blood, Abortion, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

frankieclc's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

andyparr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

jullietteh's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

5.0

Wow. This book is so emotionally gritty. It’s raw, scalding, beautiful, violent, and tender. 

We enter into the story unsure of where we are with Mungo and why we are there with these two strange men. The way the story all ties together in the end, panning back and north between the past and present was gorgeously done. 

The family drama is like fort car accident you can’t look away from. Mo-Maw is an infuriating drunk. Hamish is terribly destructive and cruel. Jodie is a yearning, motherly child. 

I would saw the subject of this story isn’t love, but violence. Violence’s relationship to masculinity, femininity, parenting, domesticity, and queerness were all explored. I found my self grappling with when might violence be necessarily for survival? It made me think about the power of  tenderness like Mr. Calhoun and Calum. It made me sensitive to different sensations of touch. Ultimately, Young Mungo’s final moments gave me the hope that there still might be a softness that lives on amongst all the hardness that lives inside of us. It made me look forward to something good always waiting for you on the other side of darkness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

cecereads__'s review against another edition

4.5

It took me a while to fully get into this story and have some of these characters get under my skin. I thought it was tender and beautiful and raw and hopeful - and shattering as well, let’s be honest. Some ppl don’t get what they “deserve (not that it can be quantified or sth like that but more karma-wise, good and bad, iykyk).
I don’t want to compare it to Shuggie Bain though there are many crossovers. However, I feel like the author has honed in on his craft and found sth that works for him. I’d like to think I could tell of a progression.
Themes of neglect, isolation, violence and alcoholism to be aware of. 

I hope to f**k Mungo and James are enjoying a quiet and happy life together. And that Jodie is at Uni living it tf up and finally on her own

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sky130's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

A gut punch of a book. Merciless but not sadistic, Young Mungo unfurls in a vicious elegy of poverty, patriarchy, and addiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

tishtashtitles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Loses .5 because it was one of the darkest books I have ever read and did find it challenge in parts to keep going and remain sane. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death