Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

201 reviews

ejhaber's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, and Kidnapping

celticthistle's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

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

bellsdixon's review

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Miscarriage, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pregnancy and Lesbophobia

superstormnora's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Beautiful book about family lost and found. I really enjoyed the descriptive writing and the perspective shift between Joe and Norma/Ruthie. Very heart warming with scenes of deep real human sadness

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, and Dementia

emelynreads's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Heartbreakingly beautiful. Like the author's short story collection, this novel explores the pervasive effects of colonialism on present day, family dynamics, and grief. 

Some of the characters were so frustrating to read through (aka Norma's mother) that I didn't connect with the story as much as I wanted to. But the payoff was worth it, and I like the dual narrative, and how the twist is unveiled. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Fatphobia

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

I found this book to be a thoughtful exploration of the epidemic of white families "adopting" indigenous children and of the generational trauma inflicted by centuries of oppression and forced assimilation. I liked the shifting perspectives, although I found Joe's to be a bit overwrought and self-pitying. I adored the depiction of the weight of Ruthie/Norma's "mother's" expectations and memories on her, and I appreciated how Ruthie/Norma slowly came to understand what had happened to her. 

I saw in the reviews that this book was unsatisfying to many, and I agree that it could have benefitted from spending more time on what it was like for Ruthie to reunite with her family after so many years. I would have preferred less cataloguing of Joe's meandering life and more reckoning with the aftermath of Ruthie coming home and coming to terms with her identity.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

befrazzledenby's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

In a year of mediocre reads, this one really stands out. Though there was no real mystery, I loved seeing the character's lives over time. The writing was strong at the same time as being accessible. The characters were varied and complex. The story held a lot of emotions. It was full of heartbreak as well as hope. I do wish more space had been given to the ending and rebuilding the bonds.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Abandonment

sarahhaver's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage