What can I say that hasn't been said before... a masterpiece. Absolutely heartbreaking and gripping. Would recommend to all.

A story about Mungo, a dear hearted Protestant boy, who falls in love with James, a Catholic boy. In reality they should be enemies but sometimes love does strange things to young lads.
Living life on a Glasgow council estate is not easy, but when your mother is a drunk, your brother is the local thug and your sister is dreaming of a life away, Mungo can’t help feeling alone. Then he meets James and his feelings take over. He dreams of escape.
After a trip away with two of his mother’s friends, things take a turn for the worst and his life starts to fall apart, but in the back of his mind he hopes for a life with James and that is the only light in a very dark life.
Douglas Stuart has written an outstanding novel with Young Mungo. He captures the period and colloquialisms brilliantly. This is a story of hope, love and desperation that will play on the reader’s heartstrings and take them on an emotional rollercoaster.
Quite simply put this book is phenomenal. A truly beautiful piece of literature.

After reading Stuart’s debut ‘Shuggie Bain’, which deservingly took the 2020 Booker Prize award, I knew that the minute another story was sealed on paper and published for us all to devour that I simply must have it. If you’re ready for a gripping, emotionally powerful book that will make you want to reach into the pages and hold on tight, then you’re in luck because Young Mungo is the type of novel which will burrow in your heart for a very long time.

Mungo Hamilton is a 15-year-old boy just trying to navigate his way through the pressures of a society desperate to outcast and destroy. Mungo lives in a Glaswegian housing scheme with his older sister Jodie, who frequently must step up to matriarch whilst their alcoholic mother, Mo-Maw is often absent. Hamish, Mungo’s brother, is leader of the local Protestant gang, raging violent attacks and causing a storm of trouble with police and residents. However, Mungo doesn’t fit into the mould created for him by his hostile environment, steeped in cruelty and toxic masculinity. Instead, we find a character with such charm, curiosity, and purity that it’s easy to think of what Mungo could’ve become had he not been born into such circumstances.

Enter, James. The true heart of the story lives between the forbidden relationship between Mungo and James, a Catholic teen who spends his time keeping pigeons on the scheme. The pair form a solid friendship, which develops into first love and exploration of sexuality, alongside the struggles that follow. Both Mungo and James share some well-needed tender, beautiful moments which beams a light over the whole book and carries an element of hope throughout.

The novel also has a side narrative that ties in beautifully with the original storyline and adds richness and depth to Mungo, a character who ultimately is the product of his origins.

For me, Young Mungo leaps over Shuggie Bain to secure its position at the top of Douglas Stuart’s works. It’s not very often that I find myself eager over author’s releases but if Stuart continues on his streak, well, we may just have a new literary legend on our hands.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this gorgeous novel.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Young Mungo is the first book I have read by Douglas Stuart, and it certainly won't be my last. This book is about finding love and yourself in a place where you cannot afford to do so. It tackles themes such as violence, masculinity, love, family and abuse in such a raw and vivid way.

"Mungo Hamilton, never one to cry, started to cry now."

So did I.

Stuart's writing made this story jump off the page as though I was watching it unfold in real-time. Each character came to life within seconds and was deeply complex. Our main protagonist is Mungo Hamilton, a fifteen-year-old boy who is struggling with the effects of being gay in the 1990s against the backdrop of sectarianism. Mungo was unlike any character I have ever read: he is gentle, loving and, most of all, brave. My heart ached for him as I watched his story progress. He felt alive on the page, I could feel his every breath and emotion. He had to make multiple life-altering choices to be safe which you can clearly see traumatises him deeply. So much pain occurred to him in this book, and it was all in the search for love and acceptance.

One of my favourite aspects of this book was the dual timeline. Stuart begins the novel with Mungo going on a camping trip with two men he has never met to 'make him a man' after he was caught having homosexual relations - a violation of the law and religion at this time. Then the novel switches to the present time and follows Mungo on the build-up to this trip with the future timeline interspersed throughout. This structure worked extremely well for the novel as it not only added to the emotional intensity but it increased the tensions for what is to come.

I felt that the most complex relationship Mungo had was with his brother, Hamish. Hamish is a Protestant gang leader who tries to get Mungo to 'be a man' and 'toughen up'. He forces him into acts of violence and crimes, forces him to never cry, and forces him to be something he is not. This culminates into, perhaps, the most heartbreaking scene I have ever seen on the page. Their relationship heavily dealt with the theme of masculinity and the social pressure to appear strong. Toxic masculinity is rife and deeply rooted in their bond and it truly sickened me to read what it came to. It was, perhaps, the most heartbreaking scene I have ever seen written because it is one that still rings true today, regardless of the religious factor involved. Despite this, his relationship with his sister, Jodie, is the antithesis of this. Jodie loved Mungo no matter what he did. She was his rock and his tether to the Earth when he felt that no one else was there for him. Similarly, though, Jodie had her own problems as she was being groomed by one of her teachers which ended up disastrously. My heart breaks for each of these characters because where they grew up permeates their character in every way possible. They are a victim of a system that didn't root for them.

While this book is marketed as a Romeo and Juliet-type romance, I would say it couldn't be farther from it. Yes, Mungo is a Protestant and James is a Catholic and they fell in love but that takes more of a back seat in the story. The story is made to focus on the here and the now, not what will be. It focuses on the effects of politics in Glasgow, the poverty and alcoholism that Mungo sees. It focuses on an innocent boy navigating his way through a life that isn't truly his. As for the romance, it left me wanting more. There were sweet and romantic moments, but it felt very underdeveloped. This is likely intentional to show the fast nature of teenage romance (as most of their love story takes place over a few days). If you are looking for a tragic romance and family drama, yes, it is here but I wouldn't pick this book up if that's what you are mainly looking for.

My main issue with this book, funnily enough, was the writing. Yes, I loved the inclusion of all of the dialogue including Scottish slang as it felt like home for me. It allowed me to connect with the book on a deeper level as it's something I use every single day living there. I loved how packed with emotion it was. But, what I didn't love, was the author's constant use of similes/metaphors etc. It felt a little overbearing that things were always linked to these literary devices, especially because there wasn't a running theme to them. It made them feel very disjointed - though, this may have been intentional as every character in this book had a messy life. Nothing was stable, and this may have been Stuart's way of enrichening his message.

There is so much I could say but I don't think I am able to do it justice as I haven't experienced lots of these events first-hand. From an outsider's perspective, I think this book was written beautifully and captured the essence of Scotland and how it was - and still is, unfortunately. I look forward to reading Stuart's debut book and all of his future works. I will certainly reread this when I am a bit older and have more experience to truly understand many aspects of this book.

What a heartbreaking and beautiful book.

I have not read Shuggie Bain, but its great reviews are what made me request an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
The book is told in two timelines: the present, where Mungo is on a fishing trip with two horrible "friends" of his alcoholic mother (and yes, what I thought from the very beginning that would happen, happened -- and that didn't make it any less horrific); and a few months ago, where Mungo is discovering love with James and where eventually we learn the reasons for his current trip.

This book is, as expected, beautifully written, although perhaps a bit too graphic at times, and the themes are brutal. This one hit me harder than A little life -- so be warned. The main theme is masculinity and "what makes you a man" (the answer seems to be being violent and getting girls pregnant) in Glasgow in the 80-90's (I don't recall an exact year being mentioned). This book will grip you and won't let you go despite the horrors it depicts.

A solid 5-star read for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Picador for an advance review copy.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

In Douglas Stuart’s second book we follow Mungo as he grows up in the incredibly divided, violent streets of the East End of Glasgow. He is surrounded by his loving sister Jodie who is full of love and compassion, brother Hamish who is caught up in sectarian violence, and his mother (Mee-Maw) who struggles with alcoholism. As Mungo becomes older, he begins to grapple with his own sexuality and becomes acutely aware of homophobia and hate as he becomes friends with James, a young Catholic boy.

Every character in this book brought their own element and depth to the story, each exploring a different perspective of life in a deprived, divided area. Mungo’s siblings couldn’t be more different in their outward acts, with Jodie dripping in compassion and longing for Mungo to be happy in his life. She is weighed down with the pressure of being the parental figure to Mungo due to the absence of their mother. Hamish not he other hand has become encapsulated by gang violence and his status, but deep down he holds a great deal of love for his younger brother.
Mee-maw is struggling with alcoholism and the loss of her youth meaning she is an erratic character who displays every form of emotion (often in one day).
Neighbours in the tenement also play a vital role in this story as they highlight care, compassion and what it means to be different.
And finally we have James. He is financially well off due to his fathers work off shore, but this does not equate happiness as he also cannot express his sexuality due to rampant homophobia from his father. James is Catholic and Mungo is expected to hate Catholics due to his Protestant upbringing, but he cannot help but question why this is.

Mungo is such a sweet young boy who is surrounded by hate and divide, and is constantly reminded of that is expected of a ‘man’. As those around him try to make him grow up into a real man, Mungo experiences such trauma that will shape his life forever. James is one of the few comforts in his life, and amongst religious bigotry and homophobia, Mungo is willing to risk it all.

I saw a quote about this book that stated “despite the book being soaked in horror, its the tenderness that wins out” and I honestly could not put it better myself. This book is full of the most heartbreaking acts of human violence, neglect and hate but upon finishing this magical story you cannot help feeling a sense of hope for these characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

⚠️CW// homophobia, rape, alcoholism, murder, domestic abuse, religious bigotry, abortion

So... if you thought Shuggie Bain was a bit sad and depressing this, the long anticipated (by me anyway) follow up book ups the ante more than a notch... At times, looking back, I wonder how I got through it. Mungo is a lot like Shuggie, his family set up pretty identical and his circumstances just as lacking. Yes there are different dynamics within the family, and there is an underlying current of possibility but, at the end of the day, it's all a bit dire.
Told in the present where Mungo is on a "fishing trip" with a couple of nefarious characters that his mum hardy knows, with details of the past to show how and why he got there, this book tells a woeful story of a boy who really doesn't fit in. Neither in his family, nor his community, and against the church and his religion, hiding his true self and feelings that have started to awaken within him. More than that I'm not going into here apart from to say that it is brutal and graphic and all a bit too much at times.
But, all that said, and I think this to be the reason I didn't sack it off. The author has a proper way with words. Inviting the reader to glimpse this life and then creating a hold over the reader so that, despite the content, they are powerless to just walk away. That need to hope, for justice, to root for the underdog is inherent within most of us and it is this that the author uses...
And the bad thing about it all is that it's all probably true. Maybe not all true for a single individual, but all the themes and incidents contained herein could, and I would say have, already happened to come poor soul. And that's why I kept reading. And why I will read his next book. It's important stuff not to overlook, or sweep under the rug.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book is a rare wonder.

Staying within a similar world to the wonderful Shuggie Bain, this book tells the story of Mungo, a young boy growing up in a world shaped by violence and division, who is trying to find himself and stay soft and sensitive in an environment that wants him to harden to stone.

During this time, he meets James, with whom he forms an uncertain relationship- uncertain mostly because James is Catholic, and he is Protestant, still contentious at the time. Mungo is from a family where active violence against Catholics is a sport, and the only acceptable route to being a man.

I found this book deeply touching and profound- it is a book that is brutal, dark and complex, but also remarkably touching, tender and funny.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Young Mungo is described as “a vivid portrayal of working-class life and a highly suspenseful story of the dangerous first love of two young men”.

The story gripped me from the first page and the writing really immerses you into the lives of Mungo and his family. I liked the use of the dual timelines each with a staggeringly different location.

The author builds tension from the outset and I found myself reading on way past the time I should have put the book down in an evening to discover what would become of Mungo.

This is not an easy read by any means but I think it is essential, the author does not pull any punches on his depiction of live in Glasgow’s violently sectarian areas in the 1980s. I think everyone should read this book.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from Booker Prize Winner and current holder of my Book Of The Year Douglas Stuart’s second novel. The promise of a 1990’s set tale of young love in a working-class Glasgow setting suggested the author was not going to stray too far from “Shuggie Bain” territory and there may be some who claim this to be a re-tread with 15 year old Mungo Hamilton’s relationship with a toxic mother being again a main focus. This, however, is an outstanding novel and, I certainly wasn’t expecting to write this next bit, because of its greater focus on plot and sublime storytelling it is even better than his multi-award winning debut and perhaps the best book I have read since John Boyne’s “The Heart’s Invisible Furies” (2017)
It is another tale of a daily battle of survival here as Mungo battles against his environment, his disturbing older brother, Hamish, who overcompensates for his lack of height and thick glasses by being a ringleader for violence with an obsession for destroying the local Catholic youth and his mother Maureen, (known affectionately by Mungo as Mo-Maw) alcoholic and often absent. In “Shuggie Bain” the mother character, the monstrous but appealing Agnes is given a central role. Here, Mungo has to go it alone even more against Maureen’s fewer redeeming characteristics. His only ally, Jodie, is looking for an out through education, an escape route which proves more flawed than she might expect.
The central narrative thread takes place over a May Bank Holiday weekend in the early 1990s making this a decade or so after the action of “Shuggie Bain”. Mungo, battered and bruised from some incident is sent on a fishing trip to the Lochs with two of his mother’s friends. We are plunged into a tragi-comic situation of two alcoholics negotiating a journey completely outside their everyday existence with the naïve Mungo in tow. We know it is not going to go well.
Alongside this are the events leading up to this expedition. Mungo’s life shifts from the mundane and the threats of violence when he meets James, a Catholic boy with a dead mother and father who works away on an oil-rig in James’ hand-built doocot (pigeon coop). The boys find escape in caring for the pigeons (in a way reminiscent of Barry Hines’ “A Kestrel For A Knave” and film adaptation “Kes” of which there are echoes here and we know how well that turned out) and then in one another as love blossoms amongst the religious divide.
Once again, it’s beautifully written, there’s humour and warmth amongst the horrors but BAM! this author can hit you right between the eyes with shocking scenes of physical and psychological violence. Without doubt the mix can at times prove a difficult read. I never thought I’d feel more sympathy towards a character than Shuggie, but Mungo, with his facial tics, unsuitable attire and devotion to a mother whose actions are consistently poorly-judged tops it. Stuart does push further with the miseries than he did in the debut really putting his young hero through it and there is the odd moment where he might have been in danger of pushing too far and risking melodrama but such strong characterisations rooted so convincingly stops this from happening. I did finish this feeling emotionally purged finding moments that I did not really want to read on from but ultimately being totally unable to take my eyes off the book.
I think if you are new to Douglas Stuart I’d suggest starting with the debut as he sets his stall out as a writer so well and then take this on to appreciate the upping of the ante. I think the many, many readers who hold “Shuggie Bain”, like me, so dear in their hearts are going to be so impressed by this.
Young Mungo is published in the UK by Picador in hardback and as an e-book on 14th April 2022. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

A strong second novel from Stuart! Such an emotional but dark novel, with unforgettable characters written as masterfully as he showed with Shuggie Bain. An author to keep track of for sure!

I found this to be dark and uncomfortable at times. It is well written and for that I am giving 4 stars but I wouldn't say I found reading it an enjoyable experience, though it definitely is a compulsive read which I couldn't put down , even at the devastating parts.
It is described as a story of queer love but I feel that was a smaller part of the story, it is more of a dark family drama. Im not sure if I quite understood the ending and I would have hoped for a slightly more hopeful tale for an LGBTQ+ story, but its a page turner with a lovable main character.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm yet to read Shuggie Bain which feels like sacrilege at this point, but it is definitely on my TBR now!

Young Mungo is written beautifully and the characters are so well developed. The dialogue is perfection and I felt so many emotions throughout my time reading this book. This book is a dark novel and pretty disturbing at times. Mungo is a lovely boy and you feel his pain and sorrow throughout the book. Although it's not all bad - the love between him and James was wonderful and I wished I could jump into the story to protect them.

I did find this book slightly too disturbing at times, and the list of trigger warnings would be massive. I did love the writing but at times some elements were overly descriptive, or used odd similes which threw me out of the story a bit.

Overall this is an excellent read - highly recommended but be warned it may be a difficult read for some people.

Absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed this book even more than Shuggie Bain and that is saying something.
My heart broke for Mungo, he never faltered in his love for his neglectful, alcoholic mother who abandoned him whenever a man was on the scene, and his older brother Hamish was absolutely terrifying in his ruthlessness. I loved his relationship with his sister Jodie but she had her own issues to deal with. Mungo falling in love with James was wonderfully written, this was a beautiful love story at the heart of the story. The camping trip with the two men from his mother's AA group - ironically to make a man of him - was utterly heartbreaking and traumatic.
I loved the Glasgow setting and the familiar vernacular was wonderful, although I guess if you weren't from Glasgow it might be difficult to follow at times. The constant underlying sectarian divide and simmering violence was so reminiscent of the time.
I truly loved this book it was magnificent!

Like many people, after reading ‘Young Mungo’ I really needed a little time to gather my thoughts and prepare to review.

Young Mungo is a sensitive tale of a young boy growing up in a Glaswegian housing scheme. Mungo lives in poverty with his alcoholic mother ‘ Mo-Maw’ and his siblings Hamish and Jodie. The first part of this story allows us to gain an in-depth understanding of Mungo’s life, the strong bond with his sister and constant needinesses of a relationship with his Mo-Maw. We get to see the difficulties that Mungo faces, being judged and a constant battle with toxic masculinity. There is violence and abuse amongst religious conflict that constantly pulls Mungo into a life he doesn’t really want to live.

We are introduced into some curious characters and each brings a story that develops throughout. Eventually Mungo meets James, a sweet catholic boy with a love for pigeons. Their relationship blossoms and they develop an intense bond that grows throughout as they both explore their sexuality. When Mungo’s brother Hamish find outs of about Mungo and James, Hamish uses the only force he knows, violence to deter Mungo from seeing James again. Mo-Maw sends Mungo away on a camping trip with two strangers from AA, this trip is to teach Mungo the ways of the world in a hope to ‘Man’ him up. This becomes a sub-story all of its own, as things happen on this camping trip that shape Mungo’s world into never being the same again.

The book does have some dark twists and turns but it is also very thought provoking and emotional with the right hint of humour from time to time especially as the characters are introduced, you see they are authentic and recognisable.

Young Mungo made me laugh, cry and hope and that is a big deal. The ending of this book left me wanting more, I want to know what adult becomes of Mungo’s adult life. I really developed an attachment for Mungo and some of the other characters which for me shows the skill of Douglas as a writer.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a chance to read and review.

Visceral with really touching scenes of tenderness. Authentic characters that are all very human with their daily woes and foibles, Stuart had created a masterpiece with an intricately written story that will resonate with many. It covers a multitude of themes which I wasn’t expecting including the Catholic Protestant tribalism and the harsh realities of post-Thatcherism in Glasgow. Hard to read but emotionally could not be more accurate. You’ll love Mungo as much as Shuggie. We are lucky to have such a great writer as Douglas Stuart.

A remarkable book equally as good as shuggie bain. This book is emotional, heart wrenching and remarkable. The main characters are inspiring and it’s a book that will stay with you for a long time.

While I enjoyed the overall experience of reading this book and I love the authors writing style, I am also irritated about the ending. Maybe I'm not clever enough to understand it, but it just feels as though the author spent hundreds of pages weaving the threads story together only to forget to knot them together at the end. Essentially I'm saying that I need an epilogue to see how it all turned out, because right now, I feel teased and lack the climax.

The story itself is very dark and devastating at points. I found it quite difficult to read and very triggering at around the half way point. I very much enjoyed Shuggie Bain, and I feel like the cast of characters from that book has been picked up and put in a slightly different scenario. Most of the characters though are extremely vividly painted and most of them are very unlikeable. I feel that in order to justify Mungo's actions, a couple of the characters were one dimensional, which is understandable, however unrealistic.

This is not a romance, it's more like a dark family drama. My overwhelming feeling after finishing this book is one of sadness. Sadness because things like this do actually happen in the world. Sadness that because he's gay, Mungo is condemned to a life of either pretence or persecution. Not all LGBTQ+ stories have to be so desolate. Please just give us a ray of optimism.

Fifteen year old Mungo has grown up in a housing estate in Glasgow, being effectively raised by his slightly older sister in the absence of care from their alcoholic single mother. Mungo struggles to relate to those around him, particularly his violent gang leader older brother, due to his sensitive and kind nature. As Mungo begins to fall in love with another boy, he is sent on a fishing trip with two complete strangers that his mother knows in an effort to make him more masculine. Heartbreak, trauma, toxic masculinity, and deprivation all follow Mungo throughout this story as he tries to hold on to the boy he loves.

This novel is vicious, graphic and violent yet is also beautiful, sensitive, and delicate. It does not shy from a frank portrayl of the reality of a Scottish working class environment.
It does not resort to caricatures or stereotypes, in particular with Mo-Maw having her own identity and history beyond alcoholism and Hamish having a sentimentality and care despite his violence. It encourages the reader to understand the wider damage of societal values and stigma on the characters beyond Mungo's own experiences. All the characters have distinct identities, even ones that appear only briefly, making the world the Stuart depicts very rich and enticing.

Fundamentally Mungo remains the heart of the novel, and his innocent and pure spirit provide the tenderness needed to counteract the brutality of the story. I would love a sequel to follow Mungo as he ages and see how his relationships with himself and others change, particularly as the story gets closer to modern day.

A clear masterpiece of a novel, that even surpasses the work of Stuart's Booker Prize-winning Shuggie Bain.

I've been very excited to read Young Mungo ever since I heard it was in production, although feared it could fall prey to 'second novel syndrome' after Stuart's Booker-winning debut Shuggie Bain, which I adored.

It certainly does not!

In the first few chapters, similar territory to Shuggie Bain was explored (think alcoholic mothers, poverty and general bleakness), but Young Mungo as it progresses delves much further and - to my surprise - darker than its predecessor.

Mungo is a very winning protagonist, vulnerable yet strong, on the cusp of adulthood. All of the characters are so well observed I wondered at times how much Stuart has drawn on from real life. The dynamic between Mungo and his siblings is beautifully written. I didn't expect to feel any sympathy towards his elder brother Hamish (Ha-Ha) a gangleader with a short temper, but as the novel progresses he becomes more nuanced and you can tell he does care for his younger brother. Jody, Mungo's sister, has her own heartbreaking story - a bright girl, who yearns to go to university to make a better life for herself in spite of her teacher's advice that university is not for girls like her.

At the heart of the novel is Mungo's friendship and then budding relationship with James, another of my favourite characters in this book! I had feared the intereligious relationship (Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic) could be cliched, but again Stuart knows how to pace this plot perfectly and any comparison to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is deserved on his part.

This novel reminded me at times of the kitchen sink realism novels and plays of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly Barry Hines' A Kestrel for a Knave, and also the recent film Belfast, with its warmth, bleakness, humour and spectrum of humanity it explores. I could not rate Young Mungo highly enough, it is Shuggie Bain's equal if not better.

I eagerly await Stuart's third novel.