Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Betty, by Tiffany McDaniel

10 reviews

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

la_lela's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Incest, and Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Abortion, and Adult/minor relationship

amandalorianxo's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.75

Brutal. Intense. Heavy amount of content that can possibly be triggering. Unprepared. Emotionally traumatizing. These are just a few of the adjectives / phrases that can accompany Betty by Tiffany McDaniel. A novel that is loosely based on the author’s mother’s life, Betty grows up with a mentally/emotionally  traumatized white mother and a Cherokee father. Betty and her multitude of siblings grow up in Breathed, Ohio during the 60’s-70’s era of the United States. Upfront racism and punishment with the ruler at school is in full effect as Betty tries to combat with awful students and the repulsive adults who do nothing to help her. My favorite aspect of this novel is the relationship Betty has with her father. Landon is someone who I think is one of the better written fictional Dad’s I’ve encountered in a while. Often times, novels depict daughters and fathers in an unforgiving light so I’m happy to see that Betty had so much love and light for her father. I too, have a stronger relationship with my own father so seeing emphasized was refreshing. I know this is perhaps more common in marginalized Native communities than I realize but reading this book has impacted me mind, body and soul. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Bullying, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy

amykuc's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

5.0

This was a difficult read. It hurt my heart to take in the huge amount of trauma that happened to this family. Betty is based on the life of Tiffany McDaniel's mother, and the dysfunction runs deep. This novel takes us from Betty's meeting of her husband to the day when she finally escapes. Even though, there is so much dysfunction, it ends with a note of hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcoholism

elyxir's review

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

georginatomlinson's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

So beautiful but so heartbreaking. So many unexpected twists but such loveable characters. This really showcases the power of writing, I was made to feel anger, shocked and sad. I cried several times reading this so giving everyone a fair warning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

amyandbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abortion and Alcoholism

unfiltered_fiction's review

dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

Betty is the semi-biographical story of a half-Cherokee girl who was born to a family plagued with loss, pain, and fear. It is a tribute to the author's mother, and it is the most painstakingly beautiful coming of age story that I have ever had the privilege of reading.

I knew within a dozen pages that this book would take root in my heart, and stay there for a long time to come. I ordered Tiffany McDaniel's other book (The Summer That Melted Everything) as soon as I finished Betty, and ordered a second copy of Betty as a gift before I was even halfway through the book.

This book will claw at you and comfort you. It weaves beauty and goodness with evil and cruelty, creating a densely rich tapestry of human nature. You will finish it cherishing every good relationship with another human being that you have ever had, and knowing that you can survive whatever the world throws at you in the time to come. You will be wrung out and reinvigorated, renewed in the way that only the very best art can achieve.

Every time the tragedies of the Carpenter family seem unbearable, McDaniel lifts the reader, gasping for air, into a moment of sublime beauty. The odes to nature, art, and family throughout this book speak directly from one soul to another. In the beauty of the natural world, the skill of each character's artistry, and the unfathomable capacity of even the most wounded hearts to love, McDaniel reminds us why and how we persevere through times that seem impossible to survive.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough; but please bear in mind that it comes with heavy trigger warnings for violence, sexual abuse, racism, and death.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Violence

danakaufman's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

elhay03's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Addiction, and Vomit