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elliott_the_clementine's review
- 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
portiarsmith's review
- 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: Racial slurs, Gore, Rape, Abortion, Suicide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Self harm, Miscarriage, Blood, Animal death, Racism, and Pedophilia
siriface's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Animal death, Pedophilia, Incest, Sexual assault, Murder, Gore, Abortion, Medical trauma, Death, Child death, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
rosies_book_shelf's review
4.0
Graphic: Incest, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Violence, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Gore, Blood, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Child death
nehtt_99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Gore, Racism, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Xenophobia, Child death, Misogyny, Hate crime, Homophobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Rape
kolorful_kay_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
📝: Describing this book is difficult. First, the book is fiction. Much of the story is born in truth of what was passed-down as memories; these memories are then modified and told by the author (Tiffany) who is a generation down the line from those who lived these stories. In terms of describing the content, I would call this a starkly depressing coming-of-age novel set in Ohio in the 1950s and probably stop there.
👩: This was a book that I read wth my feminist book club! We picked this based on interviews with the author (who said she had trouble publishing it due the female-centric storylines); additionally, other people have noted the content itself is very empowering to women. Overall, this book failed my feminism assessment. More on this later.
🎨: Every artist makes decisions that aren't necessarily right or wrong - but will hit or not hit certain people. For my own experience with this novel, numerous choices simply didn't work. The first-person, past-tense narrative was chosen for this story but with *very little* future insight from our narrator. This works well for readers who want to read about the conversations of an 8-12 year old girl for 450 pages. In my viewpoint, this child views the people in her life with very little exploration; her family members are little more than their hobbies or trauma in her eyes - the actor, artist, victim, or ill. This is probably a very precise artist approach to take; however, this limits the amount of insight allowed to the reader and is a stagnant choice considering the length of the book. I personally have no desire for 450 pages of a children's view on the world, regardless of how "adult" her problems may be. That's my own beef - not necessarily something the author did "wrong."
❓This book left me with so many questions!
* What about this is a feminist novel? The eight year old demands to wear pants and not be a victim of sexual assault, sure. But the majority of feminist theory is directly related to the father's re-telling of his matriarchal and indigenous roots. Betty never sees her sisters as humans but in the rare moments they bond over trauma; I get that she's eight... but an 8 year old's version of feminism is not necessarily what fits the bill as outright "feminist."
* Why - in this book in which the family is seemingly not at all religious - is every chapter led by a biblical quote? I get that it foreshadows the chapter... but why the bible?
* What little future insight we received from our narrator was random and confusing. She would let you know that a character would die of xxx and the next page they're alive again! What's the point of future plot if there is no future insight? Why were those choices made?
* Did any readers find the value of the newspaper storyline to equate to the amount of space it took-up? If so, why?
* Why did characters appear for 2-10 pages, only to be never seen again? And their impact seemingly never carrying through the remainder of the novel?
* What would future Betty tell us about her father? He received so much kindness in her eyes as a child but clearly had his own issues with dissociation, like most other members of the family; she accepted his dissociation for most of the novel because he rooted himself in his religion and culture. But there's a difference between being observant and oblivious and I'd be curious to know what the Betty of today thinks of him. Did it change? Is it the same? Based on the authors interviews, I would assume that Betty's opinion has not changed with time.
View my full review and conversation at KolorfulKayReads on Instagram
Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Dysphoria, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
kylita's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Betty, half Cherokee half white, is the sixth of eight children and is the narrator of her eponymous story. Mixed with stories of her parents' past, Cherokee legends, Betty's poems, and a narrative of her life, Betty is sure to wreck you.
It was the most heart-wrenching book I have ever read and had every form of trauma there ever was. Everyone who knows me I am an emotional person but Betty made me physically ill in two parts of the story. What made it harder to stomach is that it is based, not loosely, on the author's mother.
So why five stars? Betty is lyrically written with a bond between father and daughter so pure, you can't help but want to know how their story ends.
It is ultimately hopeful, but first, you have to trudge through the brutality that is a reality for many people. Please make sure you are in the right headspace before starting this book and give yourself time to breathe.
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit