Reviews tagging Addiction

Shuggie Bain, by Douglas Stuart

160 reviews

katiehoneydew's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Alcohol, Suicide, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Hate crime, Self harm, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Pedophilia

michelsalamouni's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Alcohol

cmcaus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

mollyyrrose's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

bps's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, Violence, Death, Sexism, Vomit, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence

thecolourblue's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

A truly truly heartbreaking story about the relationship between a young boy and his alcoholic mother in working class 1980's Glasgow. The book is pretty relentlessly grim, and often repetitive in its story... but that's kind of the point. It's also an incredibly human book, and one that made me feel a lot of care and compassion for it's central character of Agnes, despite the really shitty things she does to herself and her family throughout. There's also some subtle exploration of Shuggie's queerness as he ages and how his mother both supports his "effeminate" side in a display of real acceptance, and also uses it to cast him as her caregiver despite his youth. 

The sorrowful, somewhat twisted, devotion between Shuggie and his mother is at the heart of the book, and in it we see both the good in Agnes and the cruelness of her and her addiction. The most crushing part of the book is the section where

Spoiler

she finally manages to get sober, and life is improving for her and her children, before her boyfriend pressures her to drink again.

From then on out, the story is just one big downward spiral into tragedy. 

I desperately need to give Shuggie a hug.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Addiction

Moderate: Sexual assault

aoifereadsbooks69'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Drug abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Grief, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Sexism

lhodgson26's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

Spoiler

This was such a depressing and difficult book to read, however it was an important one. The power alcohol has over someone especially someone who is trying to escape sadness is truly heartbreaking. The awful men and boys who abused Shuggie and Agnes and the lack of support Agnes had. The false hope they were all given when Agnes had been sober for a year to only be let down by Eugene peer pressuring her to drink into another spiral. The strength and heartbreak Link and Catherine both had to escape and try make something of themselves but leave behind their mum and Shuggie. This really was a tough read which had an endless cycle of tragedy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief

abbielcraw's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Homophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

Moderate: Vomit and Suicide attempt

Minor: Rape

antonia__'s review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

Not a page turner and extremely sad. Great book but so fucking sad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexism, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Self harm, Misogyny, Mental illness, Suicide, Pedophilia, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, Addiction, Abandonment, Outing, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Domestic abuse