Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

32 reviews

asianagrande's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Car accident

themis_biblos's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

Even people who exude light and happiness have dark secrets. Sometimes, the lie becomes so entrenched it becomes the truth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Abandonment

jayjaymc's review against another edition

emotional slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

spellbindingtomes's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

holy_crepe_'s review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

bites_of_books's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

The story of Ruthie and Joe is so sad and so necessary. I loved the writing and the complex characters. It would be easy to be set against the kidnapping family, but even with those characters, there was complexity throughout the book. 
Ruthie's journey is hard to read, mostly because of the gaslighting that she endures. I think many things did happen to her and she didn't get to have much agency, but that felt like a big part of the point of the story in this case. 
Joe was a potentially unlikeable character who did grow for me and his story is truly heartbreaking. His emotional journey was difficult to connect to at times but there were certain moments that were so heartfelt and real for me that I couldn't help but want to just wrap him up in a blanket.
I'd love to read more of Peters' books! I simply loved her writing, at times I was so wrapped up in it that I did forget everything that was going on around me. That's a great book for me! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

megmu18's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Abandonment

Moderate: Miscarriage

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

sammyanntha's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment

moraina's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

How much heartbreak can one family take? Beginning in the 1960s and spanning to more recent years, The Berry Pickers details tragedies such as child abduction and the death of a child. The trauma of these events deeply affects one of two main characters, Joe, and it impacts the entire trajectory of his life. In his old age, we learn about the many mistakes he made in his anger at the world. Alternately, we get the perspective of his sister growing up in an alienating home that is not truly her own.

While the events of this story are sad, the author develops the characters in a way that you feel hopeful for each of them and includes some positive turns of events. I found The Berry Pickers to be instantly engaging and well-written, it ended up being one of my favorite reads for this year so far.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment