Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

34 reviews

isabellamarg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

The Berry Pickers is the story of Ruthie, a four year old Mi'kmaq girl who disappears on a berry picking farm in rural Maine while her family is there to work for the season. The book follows her, now named Norma, as well as the family she left behind (and the family that has taken her), specifically her brother Joe, in the aftermath of her disappearance. This book was a beautiful tapestry of familial pain and truly captured the human reality of grief, regret, death, forgiveness, guilt, and the bonds of sisters and brothers that span eternity. 

The Berry Pickers has been added to my list of favorite books. The characters were honest, relatable, and flawed. Norma, or Ruthie's, story and the consequences of her disappearance for her family were raw and hard. There were many strong, complex female characters which was great to read and the ending makes you think deeply about death and facing it. The last few chapters were beautiful and made me cry with pure joy and happiness. One of my main takeaways from this book is that while forgiveness is not easy or simple, it is necessary sometimes to continue to live and love. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Car accident

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review

emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

raptorq's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Homophobia

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

dfrancis's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Terminal illness and Car accident

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

books_tea_blanket's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

This book deals with grief, some of what was but mainly what could have been. The characters’ stories are often sad as they find themselves, and I found myself wishing that their lives had been different. But I don’t put the blame on the author for writing their stories this way, but on the people and their choices in the book, as well as problems with society, for shaping the characters’ stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Childhood trauma, loss of a child, and lack of identity are consistent themes and potential triggers throughout the book.

afrenette'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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Death of parent

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

whimsibee's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

The Berry Hearts does such an amazing job of exploring white saviorism, lost identity, what home means and complicated family relationships in a way that tears you apart. It has both the POV of Norma, the girl who has had her identity and family torn away from her, as well as her older brother Joe, the son who has the weight of the world on his shoulders after blaming the loss of his siblings on himself. Norma's side dives into the erasure of indigenous identity and, as i mentioned before, white saviorism and just how complicated a love for a parent can be while Joe's side of the story explores more of the racism and complicating factors in life that a lot of native people face and what it means to be the person that is complicated to love. Genuinely such a wonderful book, it make my heart ache more often than it didn't and I will be thinking of this book for awhile.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol

sofibatt's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Car accident, Murder, and Pregnancy