Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

259 reviews

ash_mack's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-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

1.0

I read this based off a BookTok recommendation and hated it. I should've read content warnings or something, but I continue to hate reading about rape. Throughout the book it just made me feel sad, angry, and upset, and just kept going. There's a slightly hopeful note at the end with the narrator but I don't think the fantastical stories shared throughout the book make up for all the rest of the depressing storyline. I don't want to ever think of this book again and the only reason I finished is to see if it got any better. Nope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

lashanda's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.0

 

I have mixed feelings about this book. I picked it up because its description seemed intriguing. It was also highly rated for its writing and content. To be an outlier to these raving reviews feels a bit strange, but I hope this helps anyone looking for an honest review. 

 

McDaniel took inspiration from her mother’s family to write this work of fiction, so it straddles memoir/biography. This fact alone is why I find it hard to rate the book. Lots of things I would pick at in a “regular” fiction book, like characterization, plot, etc. I find hard to do here, knowing that this is based on true events. I think ultimately, Betty should have just been a memoir or biography. If it were, my review would not exist, and I would have likely rated the book higher. I think Betty’s overarching issue is its format. 

 

Betty lacks a real plot. I read the first half very quickly, in hopes a plotline would emerge, but by about halfway, I realized there wasn’t one, and intrigue dropped dramatically. I had no real desire to keep reading. 

 

Because of Betty’s lack of plot, the traumas in this book are undigestible and seem to have no real reason. I can’t stress enough how horribly traumatic the book is. Incest, rape, animal abuse, abortion, suicide, drug use, death—if there’s a trigger, it’s in this book. Again, this isn’t entirely a work of fiction, so it is hard to criticize. These horrors are unfortunately probable in real life. But, coupled with zero plot, this just reads as trauma after trauma with no end in sight. 

The jacket cover description also talks about how Betty copes with her family's horrors through writing. I was arguably most intrigued by this, but this plotline was almost non-existent.

Betty would write about the horrible things and then bury them. We see some of her poems. Her father also gifts her a typewriter when he dies.

I was quite disappointed with how flat this plotline was, as a writer myself. 

Landon Carpenter, Betty’s father, is a sweet, caring, if wishful, man.  He is absolutely the best character in the book. His hopeful fairy tales and metaphors give a sense of whimsy to the book, which is much needed. However, I found it grating and unrealistic after a while. He essentially has no real idea of the horrors going on in the family and coupled with his overdrawn, fantastical stories, it becomes annoying. Again, this is hard to criticize, as Landon is a real man, and his Cherokee heritage is what influences his storytelling. As a work of fiction however, this character doesn’t fully work for me. 

 

Another issue for me was how unrealistic the dialogue and writing were. Every word between the family was a drawn-out metaphor that just read as overly didactic at times. I understand this is where people find the beauty in this book i.e. the writing, and while I agree, I don’t think putting a metaphor into every sentence and chapter constitutes good writing. The writing in general reads as trite and preachy at times. I can’t deny that McDaniel is a talented writer, but to shove a lesson in the form of metaphor at every turn and bend doesn’t make for a great reading experience. 

 

I can’t say I heavily disliked or enjoyed the book. I hope McDaniel feels a sense of accomplishment for telling her family’s story—Betty does a wonderful job at that. As a work of fiction, I found it fell flat in the above-mentioned areas and made it a less than stellar reading experience for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism

muddyy's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Suicide

emspeid's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault

abbylawr's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.25

Oh man. Both in its prose and as a tribute to the strength of Betty — the author's mother — what an achievement this book is. But please, please, read the content warnings before starting this book. It is very, very heavy and hard to read, but also very, very worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

lselin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, and Child abuse

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

libbyyjo's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

b00ksb4ppl's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

cozyfantasyfaetay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Incest, and Rape

Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, and Alcohol

ashleykhoffman's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

3.75

This book was beautifully emotional and I'm sure the author felt a sense of power reclaiming so many dark corners of her familial trauma. 

Everything was nice to read, but there was no pressure for me that was keeping me reading. There were LOTS of dramatic moments, but no ongoing pressure or singular thing I was rooting for or hoping for. It just felt like getting slapped in the face every other chapter for 50 chapters. This family was put through the wringer; Betty, too, was put through it, but she seemed to be the lone member of her family who persevered and rose above in the end. 

I've come to realize that memoir-style stories are just not my favorite, but if you're looking for something full of emotions and lots of triggering scenes that will make you gasp and a wicked surprising ending dramatic climax... you'll love this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship