Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Betty, by Tiffany McDaniel

35 reviews

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

_ines's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Self harm, Racism, Animal cruelty, Rape, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Animal death, and Pedophilia

Minor: Drug abuse and Incest

beebeewin's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

I liked this book despite it being a very intense read. I would warn anyone starting this book to be prepared for some dark and heartbreaking content. Yet, I do think it was worth a read simply for the beautiful prose, imagery, and relationships between siblings and parents. I was drawn in by this book and at the same time knew I needed space to process it all. Landon Carpenter was the most loveable character of all and finishing this book on Father's day felt like such a way to honor him. The ending was perfectly poetic. The lower rating was only because for me at times it felt a little to graphic, still recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Violence, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Incest, and Child abuse

Moderate: Racism, Child death, Death of parent, and Racial slurs

Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Abortion, Addiction, and Drug abuse

denteaste's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

while i totally understand why people adore this book, it simply didn't resonate with much as much as i'd hoped.

there was some magnificent writing but overall i didn't connect with many characters who lacked development to make them multidimensional and therefore lacked the emotional attachment to really care about certain things, and towards the end i felt like it was just a pile of traumatic events happening one after the other

i do believe it is an important book and i still enjoyed a big part of it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Death, Suicide, Self harm, Blood, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Child death, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, and Bullying

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Lesbophobia

martinj's review

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, and Drug abuse

cajap96's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

5.0

A new all-time favourite book. So poetic and beautiful but also utterly devastating and at times, very hard to read. Many tears were shed reading this book and I’m sure I will revisit it over and over again❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Rape

Moderate: Death, Racism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Drug abuse

etherisapoet's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

Wow reading this book was a fucking journey, it's extremely triggering and emotional but oh so well written, each sentence was poetry and each words so well chosen,I love this book so so much I would recommend it to anyone but don't forget to check the TW since this book deals with so much heavy topics.

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Content Warnings

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

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

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