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carlymwallace 's review for:
Betty
by Tiffany McDaniel
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
Betty is a raw, poetic, and sometimes (okay all the time) brutal coming-of-age story that reads like a myth passed down through generations. I was totally swept up in the natural world of this book... the way McDaniel writes about the land, the sky, and Betty’s inner world felt almost sacred. It’s the kind of story where the line between memory and magic is beautifully blurred. Betty's father and his relationship with all of his children are what really make this book shine.
That said, parts of the book felt a little overwritten to me. There are SO many metaphors, and while that made it feel lyrical and unique, it also slowed me down at times. The dialogue didn’t always feel grounded in how people actually speak, which pulled me out of the story in a few places.
Still, this is a deeply affecting read, full of love and pain and magic and hope. Even when it was hard to get through(enter every trigger warning imaginable), I felt lucky to be reading it.
That said, parts of the book felt a little overwritten to me. There are SO many metaphors, and while that made it feel lyrical and unique, it also slowed me down at times. The dialogue didn’t always feel grounded in how people actually speak, which pulled me out of the story in a few places.
Still, this is a deeply affecting read, full of love and pain and magic and hope. Even when it was hard to get through(enter every trigger warning imaginable), I felt lucky to be reading it.