Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

52 reviews

alexklinect's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I was expecting this novel to be historical fiction, focusing on the settings of Canada and Maine and the lives of Native American migrant workers, but instead it was more like a coming of age novel, highlighting universal themes instead of specific settings. In the book itself, the mystery was solved before it began, so the story wasn’t actually about the kidnapping or, really, about the berry pickers, either. The main characters are two people with separate but intertwining stories (split point of view) and how they find themselves as they grow older after traumatic experiences. If you’re looking for an emotional, reflective, “finding yourself” novel that resounds with both familial love and challenges, try this one. 

3.5-4 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, and Death

Minor: Homophobia, Cursing, and Child death

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

hanvin's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Cancer and Violence

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

izzy_v'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Addiction, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, and Death of parent

Minor: Terminal illness

kimveach's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

I chose to listen to this book as it was on a "great on audio list."  I've heard better narrations, but the story was great.  I think I'd have liked it even better in print.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Abandonment, Cursing, Death of parent, Racism, Dementia, Infertility, Murder, Physical abuse, Cancer, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Classism, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Violence

darumachan's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-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

devastating. beautiful, but so, so heavy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcoholism, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, and Dysphoria

lexiflora's review

emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child death, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Violence, and Racism

10inspace's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Hell of a read. Heartache and happiness and everything human in between. 

Bummer that the author found endless ways to describe characters as fat without being relevant in any way whatsoever to the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Dementia, Child death, Addiction, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Racism, Body shaming, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Grief, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death, Colonisation, and Alcohol