Reviews

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.

Content Warnings

kikipetit's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

nabilaandta's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Buku bertema Coming of Age yang berpusat pada seorang perempuan bernama Betty. Kita melihat sepak terjang yang harus dihadapi Betty selama hidupnya. Buku yang indah dan juga tragis. Menceritakan indahnya hubungan anak perempuan dan ayahnya, kedekatkatan yang spesial dengan saudari perempuan, dan juga feminine rage. Berhasil membuat diriku menitikan air mata pada akhir buku.

Buku yang patut untuk dibaca namun tetap harus cek trigger warning karena banyak hal yang disentuh di dalamnya seperti rasisme, misogonis, pemerkosaan, incest, kekerasan terhadap hewan, percobaan bunuh diri.