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.

A fantastic gripping read. I read Shuggie Bain and I didnt love that one. This one I felt more within the story. I think this one is much better, in my opinion.
I felt emotional at times and hopeful at others.

This is the story of a beautiful, sensitive kid who has been brutalized by his upbringing and the culture he lives in. Mungo, 15, and his older sister Jodie reside in a Glasgow housing project in poverty along with their single mother. The continued senseless and brutal conflict between protestant and catholic gangs resulted in the death of his father and is a recurring theme throughout the novel. When Mungo's older brother Hamish was born, his mother was barely a teenager herself. Unable to handle raising three children alone, she turned to alcohol to dull her grief.The dialogue and tone perfectly portrays the atmosphere of the time, and the prose is evocative and abundantly strewn with vivid descriptions. Even the secondary characters have distinct personalities.

This is a challenging novel to read and review in many respects since what happens throughout is traumatic and upsetting but there is that spark of hope that is present in Stuart's "Shuggie Bain" also.

I wasn't a huge fan of Shuggie Bain so went into Young Mungo with huge trepidation. I honestly feel that YM was the book Stuart was trying to write in SB. It absolutely blew me away with it's haunting prose and gut wrenching story. Absolute perfection.

Full review to come.

I haven’t read Shuggie Bain yet, although it is on my list, however I have heard great things about it and if it’s anything like as moving and powerful as Young Mungo then I’m missing out. Young Mungo is about so many things, like masculinity, sexuality, coming of age, family, violence, hardship and love. Stuart is a phenomenally good writer, somehow able to convey visceral brutality and delicate tenderness all in one breath. Mungo is a brilliantly crafted character whose life I was completely engaged with and the setting of working class Glasgow in the 90s feels unbearably authentic and unflinching in its stark viciousness. The futility of the conflict and shocking violence that seems to overwhelm so many of the characters is heartbreakingly genuine. Yet there is also a sensitivity and sense of heart that seeps from the pages and keeps the bleakness at bay, even if just for a little while. Young Mungo beautifully demonstrates how much damage can be wrought by hate and how much joy can be found in the simplicity of genuine love. Highly recommended.

Young Mungo is a beautifully written story of a teenage boy in 1980s Glasgow, too sweet for the brutal reality around him, and gay in a time when it homosexuality was viewed with hatred. He befriends and then falls in love with a Catholic boy named James, in a Romeo-and-Juliet dynamic, although they both know it cannot end happily.

I actually enjoyed the writing so much - Douglas Stuart has the singular talent of bringing to the page deeply sweet, innocent characters and also dark, broken characters, and make us fall in love with both of them. Even when the characters do something cruel, still we feel that we understand their motives, even if we hate them for it.

This is a very, very brutal story, incredibly violent. I don't recommend it to more sensitive readers (like myself), for whom this book will feel like a miserable experience, despite its magnificent writing. I was also a little bit bored by the fact that Young Mungo reminded me so much of Shuggie Bain - this sweet, young gay boy, the youngest of three, to whom life in 1980s Glasgow dealt very harsh cards and a brutal life. I just felt like I'd read it before, even if Young Mungo was actually heading in different directions in terms of character development.

I would really, really like to see Douglas Stuart do something different for his next novel. He is incredibly talented and I look forward to reading more from him!

It has taken me a while to actually review this book because I had to let it sit with me for a bit.

I received my Netgalley copy at the end of 2021 but I didn't quite feel ready to read it straight away.
I then pre-ordered a physical copy and got it in April 2022 - it is definitely one of my favourite books of 2022!

It is written so beautifully, even when dealing with issues and events that are far from beautiful. The way Douglas Stuart captures the very essence of Glasgow was evident in Shuggie Bain, and here he returns to capture not only the essence of Glasgow and Glaswegians, but the wider Scottish landscape, culture and people.

Told over two timelines (but a mere few months apart), the book puts the characters at the forefront of the plot. We go on a real journey with Mungo and so much of his story is pivotal to the interpersonal relations in his life. The story would not be as good if Douglas was not so accomplished at crafting characters who jump off the page. They are real, authentic, flawed and, in many cases, so very loveable. I connected on so many levels and I adored this book.

I am absolutely heart broken after reading it. It's a wonderfully written book. Each character is so vivid you'd swear you have met them. Unfortunately that also mean that it's a difficult book to read - all the violence feels personal and leaves you shattered.
I didnt think the author could write anything better than Shuggie Bain - which I loved, but I was wrong!

Douglas Stuart proves that his talent is not a one-time thing with Young Mungo! Perfect for people who like A Little Life but would like something a bit more hopeful with a dash of murder mystery!

I'm sorry I'm sorry but I have to give this a 2 star. If I was generous I'd give a 3 star, but I can't in good conscience pretend it's a 3 star for me. This is primarily because I didn't like the experience of reading this book at all - it made me feel awful in fact.

Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize for his debut Shuggie Bain. It sounded a bit miserable to me, with difficult themes, so I decided to stay away. With Young Mungo, I thought we would get more of a beautiful love story, but yet again it's mostly the heartache and horrible moments that stay at the forefront of this narrative.

Maybe I would have loved this book if there was only one of the 2 storylines included in this book. This is a bit of spoiler, but I think it deserves an extreme trigger warning, for multiple sexual assaults in this book. That storyline made me want to DNF the book. I didn't think it particularly helped the book move forward either. It was just traumatic and miserable.

What I thought was good about this book was the portrayal of Glasgow, the use of Scots language, as well as some nice bits of connections between the two boys in love, despite their Protestant/Catholic divergence. That said, the book seems to want to dwell into the misery and I'm not a fan of that kind of narrative.

It was loved by many, so I only share my opinion for those who might want to steer clear of miserable narratives and assault trigger warnings.

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦 Young Mungo - @douglas_stuart
I tell everyone who'll listen that they MUST read Shuggie Bain..Probably my most favourite book of recent years, so I knew I'd no doubt love this second offering from Douglas , yet I was tentative to start the book as I didn't think my heart would have space for another boy with such a gentle and kind soul - But it turns out there was plenty of room , and Mungo ( & James ) have cooried in nicely.
Set over a period of 5 months around Glasgow's East End ( with a wee nod to Bishopbriggs & Kirkintilloch - although not in a good way - F&!# U Mr Gillespie 👊🏼) we meet Mungo initially as he is shooed off by his mother, Mo-Maw, with a pair of jakey beasts to what's meant to be a "fishing" trip. Needless to say the events that take place are traumatic, harrowing and very upsetting.
The story is split in 2 timelines as we return to the preceeding months and the build- up to this weekend.
It's during these pages that our Protestant Mungo meets Catholic James. Amongst the wastelands of the East End where James has a "Doocot" for his pigeons. The doocot becomes a sanctuary for the boys as they begin to form a friendship that breaks the religious barriers that surround them and as they cross the line from friendship to understanding , desire and love they realise their connection is now even more dangerous as Mungo's older brother Hamish - the Proddy Boys gang leader would sooner kill them than accept them.
This book, like Shuggie will have you ranting with frustration at the intolerance of the people and the times , the negligence of those supposed to be care givers and the heartbreak of the hand our beautiful Mungo has been dealt in life..and Douglas once again shows the deep, deep love this boy has for his mother, even when she casts him and his siblings aside so easily..Again, like Shuggie, Mungo blames himself for all the wrongs around him.
I know I've just compared both books throughout but it's impossible not to. However it is more pacey with more urgency to the story.
Trauma, Child Sexual Abuse , Baby Loss, Alcoholism, Gang Violence, Homophobia. But ultimately, Hope. Hope for a world of acceptance & Love 🌈💚💙

Words can't express how I feel about this book, it's a hard, bleek and upsetting book but boy does it delivers.
Love is hard for everyone but it's harder for Mungo.

All I can say is please read it

This was a DNF for me. I tried it as the ebook, I tried as an audio, and I really struggled to get into it. I checked out some reviews and based on spoilers about what will occur in this book, it's not one for me. I do feel the summary is a bit misleading.

Leaving a 3* rating to show my DNF

I wish so much that I could have loved it, but alas, the relentless misery was just too much for me. I had the same problem with Stuart's other work, so this is perhaps simply an issue of my own personal taste. He's a fantastic writer and his characters come alive in ways that are almost alarming, but I couldn't find myself enjoying it.

I loved this book. It's not quite as good as Stuart's first novel, but it has all the same heart, depth and wit. I loved the characters and have thought about them constantly since finishing it.

Mungo will stay with me for a long time. This book could be intense, violent and touching all at the same time. I would highly recommend this book, it was the book of the year for me.

For me, this was a DNF unfortunately. I thought the writing style was brilliant, and I can't fault the author at all. It just wasn't for me unfortunately.

I hadn't read a Douglas Stuart novel before Young Mungo, but I will be picking up Shuggie Bain as soon as possible. Despite Young Mungo's bleakness I deeply enjoyed Stuart's writing and narrative style and fell in love with the rocky beauty in the story he has to tell.