Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Шъги Бейн by Джес Кулсън, Емилия Л. Масларова, Дъглас Стюарт, Иван Масларов, Мила Томанова, Калоян Игнатовски

9 reviews

geminisoul's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This was a very hard book to read in a lot of parts and really shows what alcohol can do to a family. Shuggie and his family are such characters and it's interesting to see the different ways the face the challenges in there home and community. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

amy1608's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

encharro's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

bethvance's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent and Classism

mj_trearty's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 This is not an easy read but it is a very worthwhile read.

The book focuses on the Bain family, mainly Shuggie, the youngest son, and Agnes his alcoholic mother, living in 80s and early 90s Glasgow. It shows the desperation of many without work due to the mines closing and the fall of the ship building industry amongst others. What life was like in the council houses and tenements and how it was dealing with alcoholism.

The character of Shuggie does not fit in, smaller and more effeminate than other boys, he is bullied throughout his life while having to deal with hunger and desperation as his mother spent the dole and child support on cans of Special Brew. All he wants is his mum to get better and if he tries hard enough she will, in his young mind that is enough.

This is a beautifully crafted and harrowing account that brought tears to the eye on more than one occasion., definitely one of the best books I have read in years.

I think this line sums it up "the more you love someone the more they take the p**s out of that. They will do less and less of what ye want and more and more of just as the f****n' please." That is definitely how life was for Shuggie 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

lucyl97's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

_shonahenderson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Classism

evelynemarcia's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book gives me a lot to think about, I can't take it off my mind. The interactions between characters, the characters, the imagery, the writing style, I love everything 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

amberlovick's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Tw: alcoholism, paedophilia, rape, self harm and a whole load more. 

*audiobook*

This felt very reminiscent of A Little Life and was not an easy read. I felt this book was brilliantly written and I grew very attached to Shuggie. It was a very raw and explicit depiction of the era and really demonstrated how difficult peoples lives were and the vicious cycles society perpetuated. 

I would highly recommend this book, well worth the read, just read your trigger warnings first.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment