Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

26 reviews

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

sehenry20's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

bessadams's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, and Death of parent

csick22's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racism

Minor: Homophobia

lahars_little_library's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Homophobia, Infertility, Racial slurs, Trafficking, Outing, and Alcohol

hellokriti's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

brebooks_'s review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Wowww this book tore me up. So incredibly sad when you truly sit down to think about each consequence of this novel. The last chapter being titled Ruthie broke my spirit and filled me with joy.  Not what I expected but definitely took me on a ride. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

Minor: Homophobia

karlee_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

This was such a beautiful book. Do not go in thinking it's a mystery - the cause of Ruthie's disappearance is made clear very quickly. This is much more a character study on grief and guilt in the wake of a family tragedy and what that does to the people impacted. The winding timeline and dual narrators create a unique atmosphere of reflection as the story is woven and we are filled in from the time Ruthie went missing to the present of Joe's deathbed where the novel begins. Peters has really given life to her cast of characters, making them people the reader wants to react to and interact with - both positively and negatively. I want Mae and Alice as aunties and I wanted to scream at Lenore and young Joe. Peters also describes tragic events with a deftness and respect that should be applauded, softening the pain while not diminishing the importance of the event. A stunning story that shows how grief can poison us, and how we can try to heal from that pain. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Kidnapping

cptnstphy's review

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