Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

26 reviews

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

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

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

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

mackenna832's review

slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Murder

anniesbookpicks's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

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

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

raptorq's review

dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cancer, Alcohol, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child death, Terminal illness, Dementia, Gaslighting, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Homophobia

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Dementia, Kidnapping, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Racism, Miscarriage, Blood, Child death, Terminal illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Drug use, Alcohol, Abortion, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Medical content, and Religious bigotry