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lselin's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Physical abuse, Incest, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcoholism and Addiction
libbyyjo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Animal death, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, Physical abuse, Child death, Abortion, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Body shaming, Self harm, Pedophilia, Incest, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, and Addiction
andrearenee42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Animal death, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Violence, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Rape, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
syellico's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Incest, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Abortion, Animal death, Grief, Suicide, Death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child death, Pedophilia, and Racism
kridenour's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Classism, Racism, Mental illness, Death, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Abortion, and Animal cruelty
angrylittlegartho's review against another edition
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Classism, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Rape, Incest, Violence, Racism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Self harm
mountainfawn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Grief, Rape, Abandonment, Child death, Incest, Death, Bullying, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Colonisation, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Racism, and Racial slurs
benchless's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
To be a woman in this novel was to suffer.
"You know what the heaviest thing in the world is, Betty? It's a man on top of you when you don't want him to be."
"By that time, I was at a point in my life where I had a very particular image of God in my head. I imagined God was a woman in a torn satin bed jacket with falling curlers in her messy hair. She sat in a bed of dirty sheets, surrounded by a canopy of sheer curtains spiders clung to. She ate chocolates from a box until her teeth were rotted and the box was empty, ready to be piled with the smashed boxes already on the floor. Blush was streaked across her cheeks like something trying to run away. Lipstick bled outside the lines of her lips as if they were melting. She was a woman used and left by humanity in ways only we know how to consume and leave."
With all this suffering, I was amazed by how much hope remained threaded throughout every chapter. Why? Betty had the most loving, imaginative father you could imagine. He was a Cherokee man married to a white woman in a time when nothing kind came from having brown skin. He struggled and failed to give his children what they needed at times, but he persevered and loved them all, even the bad ones. He filled their minds with the most beautiful stories that tried to make them feel special and worth something in a world that was constantly pushing them down.
"The first woman was given antlers on her head to branch her power out into the world," he said, digging the rake deeper. "Slugs are frightened of that power because they are spineless creatures, and all spineless creatures are frightened of a woman's power."
"He would stretch her hands out to either side of her. 'You're my centimeter, inch, and foot. The distance between your hands is the distance that measures everything between the sun and the moon. Only a woman can measure such things.' 'Why?' Fraya asked to remind herself. 'Because you're powerful.'"
"He kissed my forehead. 'I don't know if I've ever told you that I love you, Little Indian. I don't know if I've ever said those words.' 'You said them every time you told me a story.' I looked into his eyes...'Have I ever told you I loved you?' I asked because I really didn't know. 'Every time you listened to one of my stories.'"
The relationship between Betty and her father is built on these stories, and they get Betty past all the hurdles of "coming of age against the knife" to become a writer herself. I adored him and Betty, and I left this book with great respect for Tiffany McDaniel's family history.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Racism, Incest, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Incest, Pedophilia, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Self harm, Medical content, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Misogyny, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Body horror, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical content, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Self harm, Torture, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Gore, Ableism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Misogyny, Incest, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Rape, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Colonisation, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury