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A review by kylita
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? No
5.0
I have been sitting and processing Betty for a few days and I don't know that I will ever be properly prepared to review Betty.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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