Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

154 reviews

jordynkw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Sexism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Incest, Sexual violence, Child death, Colonisation, Suicide, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

booksillremember's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

It's as lyrical as it is lifelike, as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, full of love and kindness and the most harrowing events I've ever read about. It hits hard, even more so given it's based on McDaniel's real family story. (Go to tiffanymcdaniel.com for more background information and pictures).

The father-daughter bond is one of the most beautiful I've seen, yet I was annoyed with the father for his 'delusional treatment' of reality - until it started to make sense. 

I'm glad McDaniel finally got to publish this book after 20 years of fighting for it and being rejected because a 'boy protagonist would sell better'. And I'm grateful to the women who shared their stories.

This book would have been 5 stars for me if it had been 150ish pages shorter. It was quite hard to get through because it felt repetitive to me. I understand that this repetition might just be there to capture the nature of growing up financially poor and naturally rich in the Appalachians.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Racism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Violence, Incest, Self harm, Rape, and Sexual violence

mald626's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Sexual assault, Bullying, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Child death, Self harm, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, Death, and Abortion

Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, and Murder

Minor: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

strangie's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Child death, Suicide, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Grief, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Death

Minor: Pregnancy, Drug abuse, and Homophobia

joeleneb's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Incest, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

apsharpley's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Incest, Child abuse, Addiction, Grief, Sexual violence, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Death, Child death, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

gettuffstaytuff's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Incest, Pregnancy, Death, Suicide, Violence, Abortion, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Death of parent, Classism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Animal death, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Child death, Gaslighting, Racism, Drug use, Sexism, and Sexual assault

portiarsmith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

Easily just soared to the top of my favorite books of all time. So beautifully written with such devastating heartbreak. I’m going to be thinking about Betty for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Gore, Rape, Abortion, Suicide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Self harm, Miscarriage, Blood, Animal death, Racism, and Pedophilia

julieames's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

heartbreaking and beautifully written 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Child death, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Abortion, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Cursing, Blood, Bullying, Sexism, Suicide, Animal death, Grief, and Incest

shannonmmay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexual violence, Racism, Self harm, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Blood, Death, Incest, Death of parent, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Grief, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Child death, Classism, Sexism, Animal death, and Child abuse