Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

113 reviews

clairebartholomew549's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I found this book to be a thoughtful exploration of the epidemic of white families "adopting" indigenous children and of the generational trauma inflicted by centuries of oppression and forced assimilation. I liked the shifting perspectives, although I found Joe's to be a bit overwrought and self-pitying. I adored the depiction of the weight of Ruthie/Norma's "mother's" expectations and memories on her, and I appreciated how Ruthie/Norma slowly came to understand what had happened to her. 

I saw in the reviews that this book was unsatisfying to many, and I agree that it could have benefitted from spending more time on what it was like for Ruthie to reunite with her family after so many years. I would have preferred less cataloguing of Joe's meandering life and more reckoning with the aftermath of Ruthie coming home and coming to terms with her identity.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

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

schausjk's review against another edition

reflective 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

3.0

Emotional at times with some well-written moments, but also deeply predictable. The book sacrifices much of its tension and pacing in an attempt to lean into being more character driven, but even then it sometimes feels more like outlines of lives rather than fully fleshed out characters. This book would have benefitted from being longer and adding more depth to some of its themes.

As a side note, the repeated casual fatphobia was super irritating. Every single time the author brings up a character's weight, it's always to either make fat characters the butt of a joke or with implications that the fat characters are disgusting or have let themselves go (sometimes it's both!).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, Gun violence, and Pregnancy

sammyanntha'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment

jad_bal_ja's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-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

My heart. What an adventure. The sort of story where knowing where the story is going doesn’t diminish the journey in the slightest. Much talk of death, which I personally struggle with, but it feels okay in a book like this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

meganclaire7's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

Mystery meets historical fiction vibes ~ the whole concept of this book is phenomenal and had me wanting to read more! I really liked the dual POV, however I did think the narrators were unreliable at times (which is not my fav). This book also kinda falls in the coming-of-age genre as it follows the characters throughout their life (if you’re into that) — also, def check TW before reading! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Grief

meg_reads_alot's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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? No

4.0

such beautiful story telling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: 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

moraina's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

How much heartbreak can one family take? Beginning in the 1960s and spanning to more recent years, The Berry Pickers details tragedies such as child abduction and the death of a child. The trauma of these events deeply affects one of two main characters, Joe, and it impacts the entire trajectory of his life. In his old age, we learn about the many mistakes he made in his anger at the world. Alternately, we get the perspective of his sister growing up in an alienating home that is not truly her own.

While the events of this story are sad, the author develops the characters in a way that you feel hopeful for each of them and includes some positive turns of events. I found The Berry Pickers to be instantly engaging and well-written, it ended up being one of my favorite reads for this year so far.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment

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