Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

259 reviews

spuriousdiphthongs's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

This book ripped my heart open. Beautiful writing, but heavy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

wildestsnail's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

The only reason this isn’t higher is because I had to skip the kitten scene. I feel that whole but could have been done in a different way and still been able to get the message across.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism

kayleepopovich's review

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.25

This book is a minefield of trigger warnings (incestuous sexual assault being the biggest, imo). It was beautifully written, but deeply sad and I rarely felt happy or content reading it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

spicyyyyy's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

gaymoonreader's review

dark emotional 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

4.75

Protect your peace and look up trigger warnings

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

maddb_96's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Amazing character development. Enjoyed the writing style, the nature elements woven throughout and learning about Cherokee culture. 

Was a very difficult read at some points, but so raw and honest. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism

memydogandbooks's review

dark emotional medium-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? Yes

5.0

Simultaneously stunning and devasting!

What's it about?

Betty Carpenter, born to a Cherokee father and a white mother, grows up in a world of poverty and violence, finding solace in nature and her father’s stories. As she uncovers her family’s dark secrets, she turns to writing as a means of escape and healing

"Inspired by the life of her own mother, Tiffany McDaniel sets out to free the past by telling this heartbreaking yet magical story--a remarkable novel that establishes her as one of the freshest and most important voices in American fiction."

What did I think?

- This book is both beautiful and emotionally devastating.

- Betty's story and that of her parents and siblings are brutal, trauma trauma-filled but also littered with hope.

- It's a hard story to read, as it's unflinching in its dark themes of intergenerational abuse, racism, violence, trauma and more - it's relentless!  

- I'd say the raw brutality of this story is on par with stories such as A Little Life, but Betty is based on McDaniel's mother's life!

- Despite the trauma and emotional devastation, there are glimmers of hope and the magical world of Betty and her father Landon. One of Cherokee heritage and culture.

- McDaniel also tells the wonderfully rich, beautiful and tragic story of native Americans in Appalachia, her ancestors and her direct family.  I adored reading about the Cherokee culture and heritage of Landon and his family.

- This book packs in so much in every page: family history, historical fiction/fact, Cherokee culture & heritage, generational trauma and abuse, family bonds and hope, racism, classism, family secrets, and a full spectrum of non-stop emotions.

This book is beautiful, brutal and a masterpiece.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

status_woe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

I've often felt the weight of the lives led by the women who went before me, and that is what much of this book is about. Not always an easy read, but an amazing universal book. My favourite of the year so far. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Drug use

bookshelfhannah's review

challenging 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

mikaelawms's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

5.0

Absolutely heart wrenchingly devastating. But also the descriptions of the scenery were able to make me miss Ohio 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism