Wow! I just finished this last night and wow!
Glasgow. Late twentieth century. Toxic masculinity. Homophobia. And in the middle of this is Mungo, a gay teen believing his mother actually cares for him.
Author, Douglas Stuart, begins this story closer to the dramatic end, then takes us back to show daily life in the poorer suburbs of this city. And while these scenes don’t always contribute to the overall narrative, they present the backdrop which Mungo needs to navigate in order to survive.
This is what I admire about Stuart’s storytelling as there was another novel I read which attempted to do the same, but ended up giving us similar scenes of a dysfunctional family for almost half the book. The lack of variation in these scenes simply made the first half of that novel a chore to read. In Young Mungo, these scenes are vastly different, painting a clear picture of time and place.
Then, in the last fifth of the novel, as the timelines of where we began and where we are at now, collide, it’s hard to put the book down as it answers questions you never thought to ask, yet realise you should have.
At its heart, it’s an awkward love story between Mungo and fellow teenager, James. A relationship Mungo can’t share with anyone, especially his violent older brother whose main interest is fighting in religious gang wars. The tragedy of Mungo’s secret love is also referenced in the opening chapter which begins with him on a fishing trip with two older men he doesn’t really know.
To say any more would give too much away. So, I’ll end with, this book is every bit as good as everyone says it is.
Five stars.
kevin klehr 