Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Betty, by Tiffany McDaniel

32 reviews

jazminrice's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Incest, Self harm, Child death, Abortion, Pedophilia, Death, Rape, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Suicide, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Grief, Death of parent, and Bullying

floppyleaves's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Rape, Incest, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/injury detail, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexism, Self harm, Grief, Animal cruelty, Racism, Violence, Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Death of parent, Colonisation, Bullying, Animal death, and Abortion

Moderate: Gun violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, and Body shaming

helloitsjulz's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.75

This book was almost perfect, and I believe it will become a modern classic. I think it needed an editor in a few parts - the bible versus and the newspaper didn't work for me. I also felt that there were a few times where McDaniel qualified the absolute bombs she was dropping. Say it with your chest!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Drug use, Racism, Child abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Self harm, Blood, Drug abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

dws's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Ableism, Grief, Child abuse, Racism, Sexism, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Incest, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Pregnancy

savvylit's review

dark 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? It's complicated

2.0

What I liked: Betty's father, Landon. He was the most fully developed character and a uniquely beautiful example of fatherhood. It's not often that a father is portrayed so well in literature. Landon's patience and compassion for his children was truly wonderful to read about.

What I didn't like: everything else. This book is incredibly long and yet it is nothing more than a catalog of suffering. Trauma porn, if you will. There is very little plot or characterization that isn't directly connected to something traumatic or awful happening to Betty or one of her family members. Just when it seemed like a character was finally becoming more than two-dimensional, they often (spoilers!!) died instead.

Oddly, even though Betty is clearly the focus of this book that's named after her, she also remained an enigma with a sad lack of characterization. Her purpose in this novel ultimately just seemed to be to suffer and bear witness to the incredible trauma of the rest of her family.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Racism, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Incest, Injury/injury detail, Sexual violence, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Grief, and Child death

btothebooks's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.75

This is such a good and hard book. There's so much in here that just makes you stop because it's heavy, but the prose is amazing. The story-telling is beautiful and you really feel it when

Spoiler

dad dies at the end

. So much sadness, but it still kept me engaged the whole time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Child death

Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Child death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Homophobia, Drug abuse, and Drug use

eaird's review

medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, Murder, Miscarriage, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Racism, Racial slurs, Abortion, Lesbophobia, Injury/injury detail, Pregnancy, Incest, Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Death, Drug use, Classism, and Addiction

Moderate: Child abuse

gabriellejane's review

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

This book ruined me and I can't stop thinking about the Carpenters. Will probably write a more detailed review later and I already have my own copy on order. I sobbed for 2 hours during the last 30% of the book. 

I feel like this book has flown under the radar on social media/rec lists which is devastating to me. I would read this if you like A Little Life or Against the Loveless World AND love poetic, lyrical, and winding prose. Best enjoyed when you can be fully carried away by Betty and her family. Highly recommend reading for 6 hours straight and not even looking at your phone or caring about the outside world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Injury/injury detail, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Rape, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Drug use, and Abortion

There is the use of one racial slur that I felt did not need to be included. It was alluded to in previous chapters and was a little jarring/out of place in its use towards the last third of the book as it did nothing to move the story/plot line. There were other slurs used but were part of Betty's coming of age and fighting against racism/believing in herself through discussions with her dad. Would be interested in others' opinions on this!

roksana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Rape, Death, Racism, Incest, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Minor: Bullying, Religious bigotry, Blood, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Drug use

vendelad's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, and Incest

Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Self harm, Child death, Classism, and Death of parent