Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

69 reviews

ladystardust1979's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

_moonsongenthusiast_'s review

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Homophobia, Bullying, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Incest, Child abuse, Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, Animal death, Murder, Blood, Death, Abortion, Drug use, Classism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Suicide, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Body shaming, and Fire/Fire injury

lesbegays's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, Self harm, Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Homophobia

maybe should have put some of those in graphic instead of moderate, but i can’t remember the level of detail. i’m sure i’m also missing many others. honestly if you have any triggers to do with violence or abuse skip this book

eena's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Reading this book reminded me why I never want to read A Little Life. I purchased this book because it’s in the secondhand section and the bookshop staff told me that it’s her favourite read of the year, which made me just buy it and not read anything about it, so I guess the lesson is to always read the content warnings.

The writing is without a doubt beautiful. I also appreciated that this is written in a child’s point of view to show how a child could truly be helpless in this messed up world. Growing up with Betty through these pages made me feel like I’m grappling for air with every page I turn and that’s the reason why I gave this book 2.5 stars only.

I’m honestly afraid to rate it because it’s semi biographical and inspired by the author’s mother and I’m afraid to judge a somehow real life story because what if big chunks of it were reality. However, parts of it are still fiction and maybe it’s just not my preference to have one trauma over the other that I don’t know what to do with those experiences I’ve read anymore. So yeah I guess the rating is on the lower end too because it should have had content warnings, majority of the book is packed with triggering things, from animal abuse, SA, racist attacks, and anything you can think of. These traumatic experiences didn’t fully serve a strong purpose like a lot of it were just thrown to either give a shock or that certain feeling that a lot of readers crave for.

I wanted to love this book, I really do, but despite the devastating things that happened there wasn’t a strong new lesson in life that I can carry. I also thought that there will be a lot of things that I’ll learn from the author’s culture but they were just fragments and most of them we already know about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Racism, Incest, Abortion, Animal death, and Physical abuse

thetrashchan's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.75

It's a beautifully written, exquisitely sad novel packed with trauma, tragedy, strength and love. Betty is a literary triumph but hard to make it through on an emotional level

especially the devastating last quarter. I'd like to say that the tragedies at the end are too many or too brutal, because reading it was such an ordeal, but I see the need for it all

. 

You'll love many of the characters and the imaginative stories this book delivers. 

But take care of yourself if you pick this up. I'd advising checking the trigger warnings and taking it in pieces.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Incest, Misogyny, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Racism, Abortion, and Drug abuse

Minor: Murder

lisa00's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Abortion, Bullying, Blood, Animal death, Gun violence, Sexism, Incest, Child abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Animal cruelty, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Self harm, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Rape, and Emotional abuse

rayepernsteiner's review

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Blood, Racism, Bullying, Death, Self harm, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

themeanfrench's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Rape, Incest, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Violence, Murder, Grief, Drug use, Addiction, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Child abuse

ananya2112's review

dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-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? N/A

5.0

This book made me feel things I've never felt before. For a moment, it made me feel like I'm a part of the Carpenter Family, witnessing everything through my own eyes. Miss Betty Carpenter and her story will forever be etched in my soul. Tiffany McDaniel, thank you so much for writing such an exquisite story, sharing the history of your family. I wish we had an extra star for books like this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abortion, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault