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aliyacmag's review against another edition
genuinely devastating. felt deep in my soul- wonderful writing but a lil long
tesscooooo's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Incest
veronicahoffman's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
ninzlu's review against another edition
4.0
I had to put this book down for a few weeks because of its heavy content. Check trigger warnings (SA, animal cruelty, self-harm.. etc). I heard it described as a love letter to the author’s mother and that definitely is true. Betty is resilient and her strength really shone through the book.
kelseylitsliftsanddips's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautifully written, yet heartbreaking story. This coming-of-age tale is one filled with incredible trauma and incredible resilience, and it broke my heart and had me gasping over and over again. And then I learned that this harrowing story is based on the real life of the author’s mother, and my heart broke even further, somehow. While it may seem like this book is just one giant soul sucking story, there are plenty of pure, beautiful moments that let the reader learn where Betty’s courage and strength come from. This book is powerful, and I’ll be thinking about it for a very, very long time.
lee_ann_a's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Jesus Crimson. That's really all I can say about this book.
Y'all, I love tragedy and dark stories and trauma porn, or whatever you want to call it. I like stories that dwell on the shitty part of life on this planet. A Little Life is my favorite novel, so that's my point of reference when I tell you that this book was almost too much for me. I barely finished.
I can tolerate a lot of human abuse and horror but on top of that, this book has outrageous scenes of animal abuse that permanently scarred my soul. And the worst part about it, is that this is an actual recounting of the life of the author's mother. BLESS IT. To the actual Betty this book is based on, I'm so so so sorry that you had to live through that hellacious childhood and I hope your adulthood was exponentially better. Thank the stars for your father, the only bright light in this whole story.
At times the writing was melodic and Landon's stories were surreal, but I can't even give this book a start rating because I don't know how.
Y'all, I love tragedy and dark stories and trauma porn, or whatever you want to call it. I like stories that dwell on the shitty part of life on this planet. A Little Life is my favorite novel, so that's my point of reference when I tell you that this book was almost too much for me. I barely finished.
I can tolerate a lot of human abuse and horror but on top of that, this book has outrageous scenes of animal abuse that permanently scarred my soul. And the worst part about it, is that this is an actual recounting of the life of the author's mother. BLESS IT. To the actual Betty this book is based on, I'm so so so sorry that you had to live through that hellacious childhood and I hope your adulthood was exponentially better. Thank the stars for your father, the only bright light in this whole story.
At times the writing was melodic and Landon's stories were surreal, but I can't even give this book a start rating because I don't know how.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, and Rape
jan11th's review against another edition
5.0
In a pool of my own tears. What a beautiful coming of age story… and first 5 star read of 2024
bookishgirl4321's review against another edition
I wasn’t in the mood for another coming of age story with many hardships.
I may revisit this book in the future because it is well written.
I may revisit this book in the future because it is well written.