Reviews tagging Sexual harassment

Shuggie Bain, by Douglas Stuart

25 reviews

hilaryreadsbooks's review against another edition

i’m not ready to let go of shuggie & agnes just like the way shuggie will never be able to let go of agnes. shuggie danced his way into my heart—his softness, his vulnerability, his big words and big love. “what good was a soft boy in a hard world?” shuggie’s half-brother scornfully thinks, but in a way shuggie’s softness is what keeps him alive in this hard world. 

there is a scene where shuggie gives in to the way his body aches to move. he dances and dances just to see a smile stretch across his mother’s face. he is, as described, “helpless to stop it”: it’s a part of him, this musicality. and then he looks out the window to see his neighbors laughing & jeering at him, and he falters, but agnes tells him to hold his head high, to keep dancing. and he does. he keeps dancing. stuart throws hardship after hardship, heartbreak after heartbreak, person after person who doesn’t understand shuggie’s softness at this big-hearted boy. and somehow he keeps dancing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Rape, Alcohol, and Physical abuse

kobra's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Ableism, Self harm, Drug abuse, Classism, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Death of parent, Rape, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Bullying

Minor: Racism

haleypaige91's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

This was a brutal, complex story focused on a young queer boy growing up in depressed Thatcher-era Glasgow, who continually tries to keep his struggling alcoholic mother together. Definitely grim at times, it’s also an honest look at a time and place I didn’t know much about, and a clear picture of how a child can love their parent no matter how difficult they are. Shuggie Bain is semi-autobiographical, which makes it even more gut-wrenching. Definitely recommend for those who are open to looking at hard situations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

j32em's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

5.0

Shuggie ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

This is probably a pretty good read, but I’m an hour and 20 minutes in and I’m not particularly enjoying it. I dislike all of the characters so far (except maybe Shuggie?), and there have been many instances of sexual harassment and abuse. I don’t think this book is for me. I’m sure it has a lot going for it, though! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

raisinflakies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Self harm, Misogyny, Grief, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Abandonment, Cursing, Drug use, Drug abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Medical content, Racism, Transphobia, and Vomit

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

biggareader's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

katiehuntington's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Suicide, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

laner's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Cursing, Death, and Grief