A review by alyssadamato
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

4.5

Betty is a meandering coming of age story, which probably some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read. I listened to the audiobook, which was probably the right move for me because the book is not plot heavy (is there a plot at all? Beside just growing up?), and I have a hard time staying focused while reading literary fiction. The audiobook narrator, and the author, made the characters literally leap off the page, they felt so real and present and distinct. This is another story that leads with deep love and respect- it shared the same elements as Hello Beautiful in that way, but I think the generational trauma gave this story more depth. It also was another example of a novel that explores parental relationships where there is both a lot of harm and a lot of love/respect