Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

8 reviews

andrearenee42's review

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.25

Beautiful love story to family with beautiful writing, but read the content warnings 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Animal death, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Violence, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Rape, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

very graphic depiction of animal torture, specifically kittens

elliott_the_clementine's review

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-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

I will leave this book unrated. Incredibly written, painfully dark, and intensely important. Please check the trigger warnings before reading. 

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Content Warnings

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

jordyfrombookclub's review

challenging dark sad medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Child abuse, Sexism, Abandonment, Child death, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Torture, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

This book barely lets you come up for air. It ties you up with a thin chain of hope and beauty as it drags you rampant abuse and family trauma. Not for the faint of heart (me).

sab3467's review

dark emotional 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

2.5

Trigger warnings for this book include pretty much everything (sexual abuse, pedophilia, animal abuse, racism, incest)

I have a hard time with reviewing this book, as I thought it was so beautifully written and couldn't really put it down. I was captivated by the environment, the family bond between Betty and her father and between most of the siblings. Some themes were interesting to mix in this story, but some seemed a bit far fetched... and way too violent and graphic. Unfortunately, there is no trigger warning and after a while, I almost felt sick reading it. I felt the repercussion of this book for days after, feeling like I had been through these traumatic experiences myself, which I could've lived without.

Also, to me it felt like the characters were missing some ambiguity. The "bad" ones were demonized, while Betty felt always morally correct, perfectly stable and reacted to everything around her with grace, poise and innocence. It felt a bit too black and white, which took me out of the story.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Mental illness, Torture, Self harm, and Pregnancy

donutcome4me's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Hate crime, Bullying, Blood, Animal death, Child abuse, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Child death, Incest, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Self harm, Rape, and Emotional abuse

zaracampbell's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Possibly the most beautiful prose I have ever read. Easily in my top 3 books ever. 

Grappled with some very dark themes with authenticity and honesty. A testament to the raw and inherent strength of women, even more so in a time period that discredited their power.

I never wanted this book to end. It was one of those books where you want to highlight everything and commit it to memory so you never let the words leave you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Self harm, Racism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Grief, Physical abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Adult/minor relationship

imogens_corner's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Animal death, Self harm, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexism, Incest, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Medical trauma

lilacsandliterature's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Betty Carpenter is one of eight children born to Landon and Alka, a Cherokee man and white woman in the 1950s. Betty is a force to be reckoned with as she grows in Appalachia Ohio, tormented by her classmates as her skin is darker than her siblings and even they tell her she’ll never be beautiful. Betty loves her father and doesn’t understand her mother as she comes of age in this heart wrenching novel, trying to save her siblings from horrors beyond anyone’s comprehension. ⁣
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I was enthralled with this novel from the very first pages and could not believe the lyrical words my eyes flew over. This story is incredibly difficult to read but immensely powerful as you run alongside Betty, helping her father pick herbs for medicine, trying to understand her mother’s depression, and keeping secrets she doesn’t want to for her sisters. This is an amazingly written book that you do not want to sleep on! I seriously can’t recommend this book enough. A family saga like no other, with the feel of books I’ve read and loved before in the background. For lovers of The Glass Castle, Educated, The Immortalists...do not miss out on this one!⁣

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Child abuse, Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Medical trauma, Torture, Death of parent, Self harm, Suicide, Abortion, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Blood