Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart is the saddest book I read in 2024 so far.

Young MungoYoung Mungo by Douglas Stuart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is sad!

I spent the last few days reading Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. It took me some work to finish. Not only to read it but also to process it emotionally.

This is a very dark story, and I strongly recommend everyone check all the trigger warnings before diving into it.

From a literary point of view, the book is wonderful. It feels like diving into the 1990s in a way that other art forms do not allow us to.

As a queer boy who grew up in Brazil in the 90s, a lot of things in the book have resonated with my experience. It reminded me of times I prefer not to remember so well.

However, I still fell in love with Mungo and his story. It was lovely, delicate, and harsh, just like real life.

Violence is almost a character by itself in Young Mungo, it gives birth to characters and shapes them, their actions, and their bodies. It is a powerful reading experience that sometimes resonates with our own scars.

I can only give it three stars, even though it was extremely well written, because of the sheer heavy sadness that the book carries.

Be warned if you decide to spend some time with Mungo as well. This book will break your heart. But you may like it anyway just like I did.

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Location: Canada

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