Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

41 reviews

evalynnfarkashasanbasri's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

This was my favorite book I have read all year, no contest. It was so beautiful, sad, and full. Of suspense, sibling love, honesty, rage, and a sense of searching for home. 

Spoilers Below:
There were many parts where I could tell what might be coming, but it was written so well. I braced myself and read on, and a few moments left me reeling---Ruthie's questions about her "dreams," Charlie's death, Ben almost reuniting with her in a crowd, her miscarriage... Towards the end, I broke down and cried happy tears at seeing Ruthie reunited with what remained of her family. I was so worried the entire time I read that Joe would die before seeing his youngest sibling again, that the beginning of the story was only a hope and not reality. With a book so rife with sorrow, I was grateful for such a gentle ending. And I would like more books to read and handsell please, Amanda Peters. 💙💚💙

Also, can I just take a minute to say how gorgeous this cover is? From the first moment I saw it pre-release, I have been so drawn to this book. It did not disappoint.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

befrazzledenby's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

teacupsandfirereads's review

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

rachellbc's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

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

alayamorning's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Car accident, and Alcohol

liesthemoontells's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• 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

**I originally gave this 3 stars, but after discussing with my book club and realising the weaknesses in pacing, structure, character development and language in this book, I revise my rating to 2 stars**

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

the revelation of Norma's kidnapping and reunion with her family.

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.

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Content Warnings

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

highladybug's review

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.75

Beautifu, heartbreaking story about trauma, our demons, and women’s intuition. Well written, engaging. I learned just as much as I was entertained! If you like Celeste Ng, this will surely satisfy you too!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Racial slurs

Minor: Misogyny

mynameisrebecca's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

thenovelmaura's review

emotional 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

5.0

This was the May pick for my local book club and not something I would have picked up on my own, but I adored it! Even though it's character-driven literary fiction (again, not what I normally reach for), the natural tension between the two storylines kept me turning pages.

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!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

Minor: Death of parent