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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Graphic domestic violence and the violence of poverty depicted with unflinching honesty
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout reflecting the Glasgow working-class setting
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual abuse and prostitution depicted as part of the mother's story; not gratuitous but harrowing
Substance Use
A lot
Severe alcoholism is the central theme; its destruction is depicted in full
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Profoundly heavy psychological content around childhood trauma, a mother's self-destruction, and the impossibility of saving someone who won't save themselves
What this book is about
One of the most devastating literary novels in recent memory. Content includes graphic depictions of poverty, alcoholism, sexual abuse, domestic violence, prostitution, and the devastating psychological impact on a child. Booker Prize winner, 2020. Adults only.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic alcoholism
Domestic violence
Sexual abuse
Poverty and its violence
Devastating psychological content
Strong language
Reader Verification
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