Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

74 reviews

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

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

rebekahmm's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This book had me bawling by the end. Heartbreaking story with a satisfying end. The POV switch between chapters kept the narrative flow dynamic as I gobbled up the well-narrated audio. Highly recommend this book if you like emotionally engaging, if at times devastating, books steeped in grief and loss.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Violence

avalon_green's review against another edition

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

3.0

This book has a really good plot and theme, a Native girl goes missing in Maine from the blueberry farm her family picks at. This book follows one of the sons (her brother) of the family through his life, and the other storyline follows a young girl growing up with a rich family. It has many layers, and is handled well. I liked learning more about the culture and history of Native people at that time in that region.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racism, Blood, and Kidnapping

readwreyn's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

meg_reads_alot's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.0

such beautiful story telling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Kidnapping

cptnstphy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

4.5

This book was such an emotional journey. Norma/Ruthie’s parts held me in a chokehold. I didn’t have much interest in Joe’s parts, which decreased to almost nothing

after he beat his wife. There was the slightest redemption when he finally returned home to face what he’d done and make amends.

I loved hearing about the places they occupied in NS, knowing those familiar lands/berries and the rough but charming character of Nova Scotians. The author had quite a way to paint emotional pictures, connect them to the reader’s emotions, and invoke all five senses. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fatphobia

alayamorning's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Car accident, and Alcohol

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