Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

37 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, and Death

Minor: Homophobia, Cursing, and Child death

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

---

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

littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

4.0

---

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

estraat's review

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Infertility, Racism, Alcohol, and Addiction

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia and Infertility

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

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

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. 

---

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.  

---

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

amandalorianxo's review

medium-paced

4.0

I wasn’t 100% certain of this based on the synopsis but after I took the plunge, I was surprised (but in a goodway.) I couldn’t stand Norma’s mother and the father wasn’t any better (too passive / doormat of a man.) I liked the subtle ways the author spotlight Aunt June’s sapphic relationship. Joe was a little harder to get into in terms of enjoyability. Day in and day out it felt like he was punishing himself too much. The ending was 🥹🥺

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Minor: Domestic abuse

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. 

---

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

---

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