A review by ydina
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I really wanted to like it. Especially when I heard that it was heart wrenching and somewhat like A Little Life. Maybe it's accurate about that in a sense that both of them are trauma p*rn. just missed the parts where they would talk more about Shuggies sa? Like I think this should have been significant? 
More about anything else than how many beer and vodka Agnes drinks and how deeply disgustingly obsessed she is with men. 
And it took me so long to finish. I always had to pick it up like a task or homework (which it was thanks to our book club, otherwise would've dnfed it, I fear) 
Other than that I still liked the style of writing. It did have his good parts and did make me feel pitiful every now and then. 
Especially when Shuggie was asking his mother why he wasn't enough for her. This somehow got me. But I guess children having a troubled upcoming will always get me. 
All in all I'll give it around three stars I think.
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