Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

171 reviews

slakin19's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

demyajanayxo's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

mmartinko11's review

emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

bookishbeth348's review

emotional reflective 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

4.0

One of my favorites of the year. Two siblings living parallel lives after one goes missing. This book has a balanced emphasis on displacement, belonging, and generational trauma. It also takes place in one of my favorite regions in Maine. I couldn't put it down. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping and Grief

Minor: Domestic abuse and Alcohol

iampureart'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? It's complicated

4.5

beautifully written.  touched my heart and brought me to tears. i did predict the main plot, but nevertheless, the storyline was heartbreaking, touching and beautiful all at once. phenomenal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

holy_crepe_'s review

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

notquitepetite's review

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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

perseusj4ckson's review against another edition

3.75

beautiful story but definitely could have gone without the main character being a wifebeater storyline 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Kidnapping

sundayfever's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I wanted to love this book, but it just didn't do it for me. There was no suspense or unexpected plot twist. I knew within the first few chapters what had happened, so it was just waiting for the whole rest of the book for the characters to figure it out. Love the setting in Downeast Maine & Atlantic Canada, and the characters were sweet. But not as engaging a read as I'd hoped. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder

Minor: Vomit

bookishevy's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

During the summer of 1962, 4-year-old Ruthie vanishes weeks after her family arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the season. The last person to see her is Joe, her 6-year-old brother.

The story is told from two perspectives.

Joe, who is now in palliative care at 56 and still devastated over his sister’s disappearance, narrates how his family coped with the grief of missing Ruthie; and Norma, who recounts growing up as the only child in an affluent family in Maine, with a cold father and a bias, domineering mother who constantly tries to convince her that the recurring visions she has that feel like memories are just dreams. 

Norma is obviously Ruthie. This isn't a mystery for the reader, who Norma takes on an emotional journey as she unravels her family's secret. You get the sense that she knows there's something her parents aren't telling her, but her intuition hasn't prepared her for the magnitude of the truth.

I tried having empathy for the woman who raised Norma, but her grief doesn't make it okay to snatch up someone else's child. It was more her beliefs about Native Americans that made her think Ruthie needed saving. She pays for what she did in guilt and spends the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, worrying if someone will take Norma away.

In Nova Scotia, Joe suffers with his own guilt. He struggles the most with Ruthie's disappearance and other losses the family endures because he feels most responsible. His trauma leads to self-medication with alcohol and he rages against people he loves, leading to self-alienation.

But if Norma learns the truth, maybe she could reunite with her family and feel the love that was absent during her upbringing and give Joe some closure before he crosses over. 

I was in shambles 😩

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Violence, and Kidnapping