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stebo24's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
memydogandbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This book is full of swagger!
SYNOPSIS:
This is a coming-of-age story set in a violent Glasgow gang culture. Azzy Williams joins a gang in his teens (2004) and experiences the brutality, drugs, and yearning for escape that defines his youth. The story follows him until 2012, where he fights for a different future.
MY THOUGHTS:
SYNOPSIS:
This is a coming-of-age story set in a violent Glasgow gang culture. Azzy Williams joins a gang in his teens (2004) and experiences the brutality, drugs, and yearning for escape that defines his youth. The story follows him until 2012, where he fights for a different future.
MY THOUGHTS:
- Written in Lanarkshire Scots for those less au-fait with this Scots language it can take a page or two to get into, I couldn't imagine it written any other way. Like Trainspotting it's part of the story-telling.
- Armstrong's fictional story, based on his real-life experiences, is a gut punch, it's brutal, it's heartwarming, tragic, terrifying, powerful and poetic.
- It gives a candid insight into Scottish young people's life in gangs, their need for a sense of belonging and to feel included in life when around them is a world of hopelessness and exclusion.
- This book made me laugh but it also made my jaw drop as you emotionally follow Azzy and his pals through tribulation of gang and drug culture.
- Armstrong's writing is poetic, some of the scenes where his main character Azzy is getting high on party drugs and going to raves are just so immersive, and similarly, when he writes about Azzy's drug withdrawal you can't help but feel you are going through it with him.
- Rightly deemded the Trainspotting book for the next generation this is a powerful story that will stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
yer_real_da's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-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
Wit a book. For a debut novel, Armstrong knocks it oot eh park. Azzy is a compelling protagonist and his ensemble, while hard tae tell apart at first, are a great team. As someone who grew up and lives in a scheme everything in this book rings true to the sort of stuff I'd see the elder troops doing back in eh day. It's also cracking seeing somecunt shamelessly writing in Scots, no being feart of eh backlash that can come wae it; clearly a wee something picked up fae his hero Irvine. The book slows doon a bit during the rave stage. I was a bit eckied oot after watching Human Traffic and reading Skagboys so having to go through getting telt how ecstasy makes you "feel the love, man" was making me ready tae skip it. The last half of the book however is probably the best part, A'm the same age as Azzy at this point in the book and it's all so real. Must-read for anycunt that was around for the YT culture of the 00s whether ye were about it or no, cannae wait for future English teachers to shove this doon wains' throats instead of Carol Anne Duffy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction and Suicide
demicramb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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
I'm Scottish and within the first page I thought maybe this book won't be for me. Well I was wrong, I now wish to read more books in a Scottish dialect. However, I am worried that no one will be able to tell a story quite like Azzy Williams. This book had me laughing so hard, the humour was right up my street. If you like Still Game and Chewin the Fat you'd love the humour of this. Of course this book doesn't come without sadness and at times I felt myself proper gutted for wee Azzy. I definitely got attached to him and his troops. Best read of the year so far. I know it's only January but the bar is high.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, and Violence
keirahelena_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Violence
gotabookforeverysituation's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Suicide
glittery_witch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In the early 2000s, Azzy Williams grows up on a scheme in Lanarkshire in West Scotland. His life, like that of most teenage boys in town, is dominated by alcohol, drugs, raves, and gang fights. In Azzy’s early youth this is all still fun and games, as the boys cause trouble at school and sit around bonfires smoking joints, but as they grow older, this world turns a much darker, deadly shade.
The Young Team is based on Graeme Armstrong’s own youth spent in gang culture and thus contains many autobiographic elements. The novel paints a brutal, devastating picture of a working class Scotland that still suffers the consequences of deindustrialisation, that is stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty, addiction, and mental illness. At the same time, Armstrong retains shimmers of hope, as he powerfully conveys the value of friendship, family, the possibility for change, and the innocent days of childhood, using the vibrant urban Scots language of the area. A deep appreciation of the pop culture that shaped the author’s life runs throughout the book, as well, from the music and legendary y figure of Tupac Shakur, to Trainspotting. Indeed, the influence of the latter can be felt in the episodic structure and stream of consciousness narration in The Young Team, as well as a few cleverly placed direct references (swipe for my favourite one).
The novel shifts between often tense sequences of conflict, gentle moments of connection, and long contemplative passages of inner monologue. At times it is a bit slow, and some of the monologues are quite repetitive, and I wasn’t sure whether this was a deliberate stylistic choice, or an oversight on the part of the editor.
The Young Team certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you like a reflective take on the gritty, dark sides of life and unapologetic realism, I am sure you would love this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
stephreadsabook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Death of parent
dominic's review
dark
funny
reflective
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
4.5
At first I thought the Scots prose might be difficult to understand, and would hinder my enjoyment of the story. However, that fear was shortlived. Once I had looked up a few of the most common words, I found it pretty easy to get my head around. You just need to read it in a Glasgow accent. And the narrative is compelling throughout, capturing the tragedy, brutality and reality of life as a youth in the schemes.
Strongly recommended, if ya dinnae mind a wee bit o language n violence.
Strongly recommended, if ya dinnae mind a wee bit o language n violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
noahee's review
written in non-standard English, & as someone who is not surrounded by Scottish accents, it made it difficult. also very violent, & objectifies the women in it (birds)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence