Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

13 reviews

sehenry20's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

laura_cat's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

• 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

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Lesbophobia

bellsdixon's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Miscarriage, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pregnancy and Lesbophobia

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

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

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

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility and Lesbophobia

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

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

books_tea_blanket's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

This book deals with grief, some of what was but mainly what could have been. The characters’ stories are often sad as they find themselves, and I found myself wishing that their lives had been different. But I don’t put the blame on the author for writing their stories this way, but on the people and their choices in the book, as well as problems with society, for shaping the characters’ stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Childhood trauma, loss of a child, and lack of identity are consistent themes and potential triggers throughout the book.

rsagarin's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

readmollyread's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Wonderful. Family dysfunction, feelings of displacement, longing, unyielding love. Last 2-3 chapters had me sobbing. 

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The Berry Pickers is a beautifully written, emotionally stunning story about the complexities of family, identity, belonging, and secrets. Centering on a girl growing up in Maine and an adult man dying in Nova Scotia, this story is made especially compelling by the expansive timeline and the alternating POVs that explore the characters’ lives and minds. The book’s final chapters had me sobbing and desperately wanting more time with these Norma, Joe, and their families, but so grateful for the time I spent with them.

The audiobook is narrated beautifully, too, though I am yet again PLEADING with audiobook producers or whoever to provide pronunciation guides. The town of Bangor, Maine is called Bang-GOR, not Bang-er.

First five star read of 2024.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Miscarriage, Violence, and Lesbophobia