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artmuseam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Kidnapping, and Grief
alayamorning's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Car accident, and Alcohol
liesthemoontells's review against another edition
- 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
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
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.
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
goodyeargoodbooks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
mynameisrebecca's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
nemo_lacuna's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
sophiestasyna's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Racism, and Death of parent
beetsbydwight's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I hope this doesn't come across as a spoiler, because it was clear by the second chapter that Ruthie and Norma are the same person. By writing Ruthie as a victim of the "well-meaning" white parents who raised her, Peters held a mirror to the state-sanctioned kidnappings of Indigenous children and the cruelty in cutting them off from their loving homes and cultural traditions. I couldn't get enough of her beautiful prose as she explored the ripple effects of this traumatic event on Ruthie and her birth family.
Joe's sections were difficult to read at times because he was truly suffering from the loss of his sister — among other incidents that cleaved their family into "before" and "after" — and he constantly lashed out at those around him as a result. I was glad that Peters straightforwardly portrayed his faults and didn't force every character to forgive his actions when he showed remorse (one character was too gracious for my liking, but I digress).
This was an emotional and intense read, but it was ultimately cathartic and hopeful. There was a lot to talk about with my book club and some people had differing interpretations of key points in the story, which made the discussion even more enjoyable. I highly recommend this one; I can see it easily snagging a spot as one of my favorite books of the year!
Graphic: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
Minor: Death of parent
kbifolck's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Homophobia and Terminal illness