Shuggie Bain: A Novel

“Agnes stepped out of her own ashes in time for Shuggie’s tenth birthday. She was off the drink for three months before she took up the night shift at the colliery petrol station. She had spread Christmas over four different catalogues, piling the tree with presents and filling the table with four kinds of game and meat with no way of paying for any of it. As Leek and Shuggie lay fat and full in the glow of the television, she did not realize she need not have bothered. They were happy with her alone, with her sobriety and the peace it brought.”

This one was hard to rate... 4 stars for the story and some of the writing. 2 stars for the sludge of endless bad things and the just overall depressing story of such a young kid. I don't mind a sad story, but this was such an odd mix of heavy and light - what Shuggie dealt with was so heavy, but it was written with such a light hand. It felt aloof and unemotional, which was weird considering everything Shuggie dealt with.
It was also hard to feel anything for his mother. Especially once we got some of her back-story, which was quite lovely compared to everything else. I still enjoyed this one. Just not enough to give any more than 3 stars. Perhaps I missed some of the nuance intended from the author...?

Very well written but difficult subject matter. Not a beach read

I actually really enjoyed this, although it's definitely poverty porn at its finest. The people and the landscape are unrelentingly bleak - the place is horrible, the people are horrible and yet somehow it takes hold of your imagination and you find yourself strangely enjoying it. Very well written too - I can see why it won The Booker.

Tragedy porn the novel. I couldn't read this entire thing and I love sad stuff!