Ok, probably no surprise here that I’ve given Young Mungo five stars. If you’ve read Shuggie Bain you will know how wonderful Douglas Stuart’s writing is, and Young Mungo was no different, another masterpiece.

Douglas Stuart once again brings to the forefront the struggles of living in Glasgow. Highlighting addiction, poverty, homophobia, abuse, neglect and many more of the tough topics we have come to expect from his writing. I did find this one darker than Shuggie Bain (and there were some really difficult parts to read) but there are many wonderful and heartwarming moments as we see Mungo discover his sexuality and form a relationship with James, who is a Catholic. It was never going to be smooth sailing for them, and we see this as Douglas takes us on Mungo’s journey. I won’t say too much, but even through the dark moments Douglas’ writing fills you with hope and you can’t help but bond with Mungo and want the best for him.

Another brilliant novel from Douglas Stuart 👏🏼

I really enjoyed this book, having previously enjoyed Shuggie Bain. A tricky read at times, Mungo finds life difficult enough being an awkward gay teenager in Glasgow's housing estates. Finding that tender first love with James is both as wonderful as it heart-breakingly painful. Protestant and Catholic worlds collide. I found it an emotional rollercoaster and there are of course some quite brutal themes dealt with. Ultimately though, there is always hope and Mungo shows us that. It's a story about love and family and is very firmly rooted in Glasgow. Highly recommend.

Brutal yet beautiful, full of originality. A difficult read at times, but a must read for any lovers of this trope and these topics.

Thank you so much for the copy.

I tried so hard but am DNF-ing on 100 pages. Just not for me I'm afraid. Gutted as I had heard such good things

This is a very difficult read which comes with a huge list of trigger warnings.
The writing style is so raw and full of description. This story will stay with me for a long time

I’ve been putting off writing this review for quite a while as I fee I don’t have the words to do this book justice! Young Mungo will swallow you up and spit you out, crying your eyes out like a baby. This book is beautifully written and touches upon so many heartbreaking moments. Young Mungo has a piece of my heart forever now! Douglas Stuart can do no wrong in my eyes!

An exquisite book., heartbreakingly beautiful. I really cannot praise it enough. Set in Glasgow, this tells the story of Mungo, an awkward young lad with a difficult life. The characterisation in this book was fantastic and it has a lot to say about love, masculinity, family, and more.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this one but it just wasn’t for me.
I think maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for it and just found it very depressing.
A case of the wrong book at the wrong time rather than a poorly written book.
Just not for me - which is a shame as I enjoyed Shuggie Bain.

It’s the early 90’s and Mungo is having a hard time growing up as a gay teen in Glasgow’s housing estates. Things seem to improve when he meets and falls for Catholic James, but when their romance is discovered his alcoholic mother sends him off on a fishing trip with a couple of unsavoury characters from her AA group.

I loved Mungo’s relationship with his protective older sister, the rare moments of tenderness between him and his brother Hamish, and of course the discovery of his first love with James.

The writing is incredibly powerful and beautiful, but is also full of trauma, abuse and violence so while I would highly recommend I’m aware that this isn’t a book for everyone.

I’ll be honest, I nearly didn’t get past the first fifty pages of the book. Not because it isn’t written well, it just felt to me as though the characters were all too similar to those in Shuggie Bain. Both family set ups include young male teenagers exploring their sexuality, single mums with serious drinking problems, sisters trying to escape and the lack of an extended family. However, thanks to everyone in our buddy read group, I kept going and I’m so glad I did because this book is even better than Shuggie Bain.

Protestant Mungo is sent on a fishing trip with two complete strangers, by his mother, because of his growing relationship with Catholic James. What happens on this fishing trip makes Mungo have to grow up very quickly.

I can’t help thinking that this was the book, Stewart really wanted to write in the first place. It is much deeper and darker than Shuggie. There is sexual abuse, grooming, religious gang warfare and murder. Not a book for the faint hearted. And yet, Mungo shines throughout the book and we watch him come to terms with the life he has been given.

If you haven’t read Shuggie Bain, I would say to read Young Mungo first as the author really shows his talent for writing authentic stories with this book. It is gritty and real. Some scenes were difficult to read.

Brilliant book, not my usual type of book to read however I did enjoy this! I would be interested in reading more of this authors work.

I’ve been struggling to articulate the way this book made me feel; as with Stuart’s last novel I am bowled over by the emotions I felt while reading. The author has taken a heartbreakingly sad story and brought it so fully to life that I’ve thought of it most days since I closed the books pages.

Douglas Stuart’s literary talent is second to none in my eyes, I actually have goosebumps even thinking of this novel and I read it two months ago, Mungo stole my heart, the same way that Shuggie did before him, and not to be dramatic, but I’m not sure i’ll feel the same way about another book.

I partially listened to this one on audio and the narrator did an amazing job - hearing the book being read to me in a Scottish accent really helped to bring it all together and I’d highly recommend doing the same if you can.

If you read one book this year, let it be Young Mungo. It deserves to be read. A truly beautiful novel that I will never forget.

A beautiful coming of age story. If you liked Shuggie Bain you will love Young Mungo. Douglas Stuart is a talent like no other.

I was really looking forward to this book, but it being written in the way the main charter actually spoke really made things difficult for me. Did not finish.

While I loved reading Shuggie Bain, I went into Young Mungo with a lot of expectations. It did not disappoint on the literariness but I couldn't get into the characters at all. It felt dreary and dragging especially because I jumped into it as soon as I finished Shuggie Bain. I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I DNFed it at 50%. It felt like reading a really depressive Shuggie Bain. IT took me nearly an year to build up the courage to write this review.

I might pick this one up later when I am ready for it.

Another book I picked up after reading some rave reviews about it on bookstagram.

It is a queer novel by a writer who won the Booker Prize with his first-ever book. I have not read that one yet. But this one would take you to another level of pain.

Two young men whose lives are very different are in love, in a place where their love, if rumour spreads, can become dangerous.

Mungo and James, with two different sects of the same religion, are madly in love and they subconsciously know that they can't stay in that dangerous place for long that they call home.

Trigger warning- there are mentions of a lot of abuse even towards minors. Religion plays a big role as homosexuality is seen as a sin in Christianity (especially in catholicism).

The language is lyrical, the characters are amazingly developed. Some reviewers mentioned that it mirrors many aspects of the writer's first book Shuggie Bain which won the Booker Prize. I guess I have to read it next to see.

I really like this book although sometimes the religious parts of it bores me.

Douglas Stuart's prose is so originally exquisite. Brutal yet beautiful. An essential read for those interested in the intersection of class, masculinity and Sexuality.

When I first started reading Young Mungo it was impossible to ignore the similarities to his first novel, Shuggie Bain and you would be forgiven to wonder if he just a one trick pony. But you will quickly come to retract that assumption, it is not a copy of Shuggie Bain but a fantastic expansion with its own themes, characters and identity. I loved this even more than Shuggie.

I’m at somewhat of an advantage writing this review having listened to Stuart talk just last week about his novels. I particularly loved hearing Stuart talk about how he was trying to build a community through his books that the Hamiltons and the Bains were simultaneously existing in their own painful worlds, that it was not just one person struggling in isolation, that we all go through life dealing with pain. And that he also sought to paint both Maurine and Agnes as very different women breaking down the stereotype reduction that all alcoholics are in essence nothing but their addiction.

But enough about comparisons to Shuggie, this review is about Mungo and James and not forgetting Jodie (who made just as strong an impression on me as our two star crossed lovers). I could have (and strongly wish) to read a whole book on her life. Such is the strength of Stuart’s writing these characters feel so real I find myself wondering where they might be now and hoping life was kind to them in the end.

Young Mungo is a book about first love, its beautiful tenderness and painful heartbreak. About masculinity and expectations society places on men, about the impact of post Thatcher’s Britain on a whole generation of Scottish men and the subsequent ripples that were felt on the women and children as a consequence. Stuart’s writing seemed to have matured, characters, plot, structure, delivery all just felt that bit more polished and complete.

One of the easiest five stars I’ve dished out this year so far and firmly established Stuart as a must read author and I’m eagerly awaiting his self proclaimed difficult third album.

Douglas Stuart really knows how to write a bleak, sad book. After reading Shuggie Bain not long after it was published and not fully getting all the rave reviews, I thought I would try again. I thought the same was happening with this book. The first half of Young Mungo, I didn't feel engaged but when I got past the first half I began to feel really connected to the characters and experienced heartache for them.

Although, Young Mungo took me a while to get into, it won me over in the end.

Heartbreaking and bleak, this was a difficult read so I'd recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading.