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mariep97's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Incest, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Racism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Colonisation, Sexism, Self harm, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Death of parent, Rape, Medical content, Abortion, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Child death
polly_baker'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
I absolutely loved Betty. Her first person narration, channeled through McDaniel's lyrical prose, amplified the wonder, the confusion, the joy and the hurt that punctuated her childhood and adolescence.
It is all at once a celebration and a damnation of the things we acquire, generation to generation. Parallels are drawn between the indigenous wisdom Betty is gifted from her Cherokee father, and the generational trauma she endures from her mother's abusive past. Betty's narrative gives voice to the many children who bear the burdens of their elders, carrying pain silently, burying it in jam-jars deep beneath the ground.
Betty's father is portrayed through her child's eyes as god-like and mythical, strengthened through his indigenous stories and the knowledge and reverence he held for the Earth. The Cherokee heritage is celebrated and foregrounded, even amidst a world working its hardest to erase it. Betty struggles with her identity as tales of the matriarchal power and strength of the Cherokee collide with a patriarchal and capitalist America, which systematically dismantles indigenous pride, and cultivates shame in its place.
It is a challenging read (worth checking the trigger warnings for) as Betty has borne witness to a multitude of traumatic incidents during her upbringing. But this is not trauma porn... Betty is based on the story of McDaniel's own mother, rooted very much in reality and in the shaping of Betty Carpenter, a new favourite character, and human, who I already deeply miss.
<i>“I realized then that not only did Dad need us to believe his stories, we needed to believe them as well. To believe in unripe stars and eagles able to do extraordinary things. What it boiled down to was a frenzied hope that there was more to life than the reality around us. Only then could we claim a destiny we did not feel cursed to.”</i>
Graphic: Sexual assault and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt
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
jco1016's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Death, Child death, Abortion, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Bullying, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, and Suicide attempt
aliciawithoutkeys'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
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Blood, Child abuse, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Sexism, Child death, Incest, Grief, Racial slurs, Animal death, Self harm, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Drug use
fraggle1982'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: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Rape, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Racism
xoxochannychan'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Animal death, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Grief, Murder, Racism, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence
airr'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: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Rape, Alcohol, Bullying, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death, Toxic relationship, Racism, Animal death, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Medical content, Gun violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
ragoreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Incest, Suicide, Miscarriage, Rape, Animal death, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, and Racism
joeleneb'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: 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