Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

73 reviews

mariecurie04's review

emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Kidnapping

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Body horror, Murder, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Blood, Cancer, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, and Racism

littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Cancer, Blood, Death of parent, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Violence, Child death, and Dementia

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

hellokaley's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

3.5

This one was a bit of a mix for me. Overall I enjoyed it- the story was unique and I liked the different perspectives. It reminded me a little bit of The Immortalists- a long, stretching family story that was mainly sad. The end of the book seemed to drag on a bit, but overall, happy to have read it, but probably not for everyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Racism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Violence, and Alcoholism

estraat's review

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Infertility, Racism, Alcohol, and Addiction

isabellamarg's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

The Berry Pickers is the story of Ruthie, a four year old Mi'kmaq girl who disappears on a berry picking farm in rural Maine while her family is there to work for the season. The book follows her, now named Norma, as well as the family she left behind (and the family that has taken her), specifically her brother Joe, in the aftermath of her disappearance. This book was a beautiful tapestry of familial pain and truly captured the human reality of grief, regret, death, forgiveness, guilt, and the bonds of sisters and brothers that span eternity. 

The Berry Pickers has been added to my list of favorite books. The characters were honest, relatable, and flawed. Norma, or Ruthie's, story and the consequences of her disappearance for her family were raw and hard. There were many strong, complex female characters which was great to read and the ending makes you think deeply about death and facing it. The last few chapters were beautiful and made me cry with pure joy and happiness. One of my main takeaways from this book is that while forgiveness is not easy or simple, it is necessary sometimes to continue to live and love. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Murder, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Dementia, and Miscarriage

Minor: Car accident

sytaylor's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia and Infertility

Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, and Racism

Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Cancer, Dementia, Alcohol, Blood, Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Cursing

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Dementia, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Cancer, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Racism, Alcoholism, Grief, and Murder

aposthuma's review

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book tells a beautiful and heartbreaking story of a Native girl kidnapped as a child who grows up with no knowledge of her heritage. I love the humanity and complexity of the main characters, and the ending was so sweet. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Dementia, Alcoholism, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Kidnapping, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Racism, Death, and Death of parent

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This is the story of a family of Native American migrant workers who traveled to Maine each yeah to harvest blueberries. In the early 60’s the youngest daughter goes missing, they search for her for years, never giving up hope that they will find her. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Kidnapping, Violence, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Racism, Terminal illness, Infertility, Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Dementia, and Domestic abuse