Reviews tagging Religious bigotry

Shuggie Bain, by Douglas Stuart

18 reviews

goodbyedarling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Drug abuse, Injury/injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Death, Homophobia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Pedophilia

scaggedy's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Addiction, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Religious bigotry

emmaisabelle's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I wish this book hadn’t beaten Real Life by Brandon Taylor for the Booker because I LOVE that book and unfortunately couldn’t stop myself from comparing the two even though they’re so different. 

I loved the way the book zeroed in on Shuggie and Agnes’s relationship. I went in thinking it was more going to be about Shuggie but it really is about them
both and their relationship and the havoc addiction wreaks on a family. This book is just… so heartbreaking and raw. It does a great job of evoking the pain of being a child of an alcoholic. I may be alone in this but I deeply felt for Agnes throughout.

Spoiler

When she relapsed, my heart broke and like Leek, I was ready to beat up Eugene too.

I really devoured the second half and finished it in a day. I think Stuart did a great job of also helping readers deeply understand Leek, Catherine and the other side characters without really having to go or their heads or focus on them. Shuggie isn’t the most reliable narrator but we can really feel their emotions and motivations despite that through the whole book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Addiction

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Classism, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Self harm

Minor: Racism, Cancer, and Pregnancy

itsjustbethg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Rape, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Abandonment

euphemia's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

this is gonna send me into some state but the writing. please, yes.

Spoiler

when shuggie let his mum die because he gave up the hope that she'd change?? goodbye, i jumped out several windows

 

maybe the singular issue i saw here is the scottish slang. like, it's realistic but still it took me a while to get the hang of it and i even resorted to a glossary of slang i found online. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Cursing, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Minor: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Blood

bersblue's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Suicide attempt

lenin_lover_69'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Shuggie Bain is relentlessly grim, but the evocative and poetic prose used to sketch out the city of Glasgow made it a worthwhile read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Vomit, Sexual violence, Violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Rape, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, and Death

stayathomereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

alissa_m's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia

Minor: Religious bigotry