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s4mnth'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Rape
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Death of parent and Death
etherisapoet'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, Xenophobia, Rape, Sexism, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Violence, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Bullying, Cursing, Child death, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Incest, Animal death, Hate crime, and Grief
anxiousbookclub'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
4.75
Graphic: Abortion, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Gun violence and Vomit
amykuc'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcoholism
elise_allberry'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Abortion, Animal death, Blood, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
sderrig'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
amandinesophie'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? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Mental illness, and Incest
jeannelovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Where I came from was a family of eight children. More than one of us would die in the prize-winning years of youth.’
Written by Tiffany McDaniel, the novel is based on her mother’s childhood in 1960s rural Appalachia. Betty, born to a white mother and Cherokee father, is the only Carpenter child who shares her father’s dark hair and complexion. For this she is relentlessly bullied; at school, in the community, and by her own family. Meanwhile the extent of tragedy - murder, rape, accidents, abuse - that befalls the Carpenter family is nothing short of rampant.
Deeply disturbing, Betty’s an unforgettable read. But both its brilliance and its shortcomings stem from the fact it’s a family memoir. Imagine writing an exposé of your family’s darkest secrets, with dear old Mum as the central protagonist. And she’s still alive, which is remarkable given her upbringing but tricky territory to navigate. The challenge lies in portraying the victims & perpetrators as anything other than heroes & villains and consequently some family members, Betty included, are curiously one-dimensional. Another issue is the freedom, or lack of, to deviate from the family script. Without a narrative arc, we get A Series of Unfortunate Events interspersed with brief moments of respite which typically focus on Betty and her father, Landon. The pattern became so predictable that after every heart-warming exchange I steeled myself for the next onslaught.
The brilliance lies in the author’s descriptive powers. Mum’s accounts of abuse include details so cruel and calculated there’s no doubting their authenticity. The sense of time and place is vividly imagined and the sheer resilience of Betty and her own mother Alka is inspiring. For me this was Alka’s story. Ordeal heaped upon ordeal and somehow she soldiered on.
The author evidently shares the same strength. Apparently the first agents she approached refused to believe that the women in her family had experienced such abuse. Thank goodness she persevered because memoirs as powerful and hard-hitting as this have the potential to break the taboos that force silence on so many girls and women.
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Incest, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
georginatomlinson'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
zoedale'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Abortion