Perhaps baby's first empathy book, but actually such a good reflection of parenthood and parental neglect through the eyes of a growing boy. Really, you do not need extreme poignant words or extensive vocabulary to tug at your heart strings.

Such a good book that fleshes out different characters, holds your hands and pulls you through the rocky road of this Glasgow town, up and down the trek with different emotions. There is accented speech written, just a heads up. You are pulled through the story and see Agnes's alchoholism unravel more and more, from a leaking faucet to an unbearing tide, and Shuggie, the persistant and naive son, cling onto his mother with the hope for a better future. It is bleak, but you do still hope and empathetise for the characters nonetheless. Writing-wise, Stuart's writing is more focused towards the actions and environment of the story, moreso than the emotions that they carry. I find that he uses unique yet accurate phrases to describe certain actions.