Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

14 reviews

evalynnfarkashasanbasri's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was my favorite book I have read all year, no contest. It was so beautiful, sad, and full. Of suspense, sibling love, honesty, rage, and a sense of searching for home. 

Spoilers Below:
There were many parts where I could tell what might be coming, but it was written so well. I braced myself and read on, and a few moments left me reeling---Ruthie's questions about her "dreams," Charlie's death, Ben almost reuniting with her in a crowd, her miscarriage... Towards the end, I broke down and cried happy tears at seeing Ruthie reunited with what remained of her family. I was so worried the entire time I read that Joe would die before seeing his youngest sibling again, that the beginning of the story was only a hope and not reality. With a book so rife with sorrow, I was grateful for such a gentle ending. And I would like more books to read and handsell please, Amanda Peters. 💙💚💙

Also, can I just take a minute to say how gorgeous this cover is? From the first moment I saw it pre-release, I have been so drawn to this book. It did not disappoint.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

hmih's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

liesthemoontells's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

2.0

**I originally gave this 3 stars, but after discussing with my book club and realising the weaknesses in pacing, structure, character development and language in this book, I revise my rating to 2 stars**

Saying that you wish a book had been a different book/that a story had been told differently feels like a cop-out in a review. An author chooses the story they want to tell, and that is the story the reader receives. Amanda Peters wanted to tell the story of two siblings who were torn apart by an awful act, and how the trauma of that act was mirrored throughout their lives into adulthood and middle age. 

The problems with this are that a) the drama of the book lags in the middle as the two characters move away from their traumatic childhood, before the reckoning of mortality brings them back to it in middle age, and b) the story of Joe is ultimately not as strong or believable as that of Norma's. I think this would have been a better book had it concentrated only on Ruthie's disappearance, or

the revelation of Norma's kidnapping and reunion with her family.

Similarly, I think a multiplicity of viewpoints, such as the other siblings, or the parents, or the Ellises who owned the berry farm, would have made the story stronger.

The highlight of this book for me was the way Peters wrote the complicated, twisted, guilt-ridden love between Norma and her mother. It was painful, heartwrenching, and rang utterly true.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Genocide

atamano's review against another edition

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Cursing, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

kappafrog's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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

3.75

This is a hard book to review. I was compelled to keep reading because I felt completely drawn in to the tragedies and traumas that the characters were facing, and needed to see how it all resolved. I was moved to tears at times, especially at the end. At the same time, the characters went through so much trauma that I almost felt voyeuristic at times. I kept going because I knew from the first chapter there was hope, but it was pretty brutal seeing everything that especially Joe's family went through.

This story is a heartbreaking look at the effect the Sixties Scoop had on Indigenous people in Canada. While this wasn't exactly like the typical Sixties Scoop - where the taking of children was sanctioned by child welfare services - it explored how much that sort of forced interracial adoption fractured family and individual identities. It's estimated that 20,000 Indigenous children were forcibly relocated during the Scoop, so the emotions that Ruthie and her family went through in this book are far from unique.

At times I wondered why we were spending so much time with Joe. His story was interesting to read, but I finished the book with so many unanswered questions about the fallout with Norma

/Ruthie

and her family that I wish we could have spent some more time with her perspective at the end. What we did get with her at that point was great though and very healing.

That scene towards the end where all the siblings are laughing together was so special.

The book could have dug a little deeper on a few of its themes.

Aunt June didn't exactly get off easy, as Norma did articulate to her what I'd been thinking the whole time, but the book could have explored a little more her position as a white queer person - on the one hand oppressed, and on the other hand, an enabler of another's oppression. She did so much damage by keeping that secret - poor Norma got so twisted up by all the gaslighting, and no one was ever fully held accountable for it, though the novel was still clear about how awful it was and the negative effects it had. I would have liked to see some more anger expressed towards Norma's mother, and to have seen more of her original family's reactions to learning why Ruthie had been taken from them.

The above are all just things I wish we could have seen more of. I do have one criticism of the book aside from that though. I really didn't like how Norma's mother Lenore played into stereotypes about manipulative people with migraines. Her migraines were her key emotional manipulation tactic, and I really didn't appreciate that. While it's something that could certainly happen, one of the reasons that migraine isn't taken seriously as the massively debilitating disease it is is that people see it as something women fake to get out of things they don't want to do. There's plenty of research showing that. So, as someone whose life has been badly affected by chronic migraine (and OCD, which Norma's mother was also possibly implied to have), I didn't love that the author used this trope. It wasn't a dealbreaker, since it was technically plausible (migraine can be triggered by emotional upset), and the main characters in the novel were suffering from so many worse societal ills, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book. It is a heavy read, but it really shines in moments like the descriptions of the landscape and people's connections to it and Joe's memories of his sister. It provided insights into a way of life unknown to most people (including me) by exploring the social and economic realities of life for itinerant Indigenous berry pickers in Canada and Maine. While there were things I would have liked to see it explore more, it was a fantastic debut, and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Cursing, Genocide, Homophobia, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Vomit

kimveach's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.25

I chose to listen to this book as it was on a "great on audio list."  I've heard better narrations, but the story was great.  I think I'd have liked it even better in print.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism

20sidedbi's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is amazing. Very insightful and inspiring. You really connect to both sides of the coin: Ruthie as dutiful and reserved struggling to break free and Joe as angry and lost struggling to find peace. I think while the end was a tad short it did wrap everything up in a neat and sad way. Its also hella slow and doesn't pick up till the last 30%. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

rsagarin's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism