Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

116 reviews

sophiestasyna'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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Racism, and Death of parent

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

gsmallwood63's review

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

bebidocrimes's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

teddie_valetine98's review against another edition

emotional 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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

laura_berger's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

katiejohns's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent

christinesmith205's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia

jegan4's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Miscarriage, Racism, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

jillaay_h's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Gaslighting