Reviews tagging 'Death'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

543 reviews

thebanhammer's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This book... this was a tough read but worth every word on the page. It is wonderfully written and deserves all the praise it garners. 

I will tell you that there are times when I question if the explicit detail is really needed or adds to the narrative. I am not saying it doesn't, but I am also not sure that it does. I am very much a person who is not opposed to explicit writing or even vulgar writing, but I do feel it needs to be done with intentionality and be an overall addition to the work. I am not sure those elements meet the mark in this particular story. 

That said, this was one of the better books I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it if you have the emotional capacity for a powerful story full of heartache and suffering. It is a rich story with amazing character development, beautiful prose, and excellent execution. The fact that it is a retelling heightens the narrative and is done so deftly that this story clearly stands entirely on its own merit—a very rare feat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Classism

nataliejune's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

fpcat99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

thequeenofsheba3's review against another edition

dark hopeful sad slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment

Minor: Racism

siobhanward's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

NYT Notable Books 2022: 16/100

When I read Kingsolver's <i> The Poisonwood Bible </i>, I thought maybe it was just a case of a book not really resonating with me, but after having read this, I think it's a case of Kingsolver being overhyped and just really not an author I care for. In this case, the book feels overdone and so, so long. Every time I hoped I was nearing the end, I realized I had 100+ pages left. Nothing in the book felt new or creative and just felt like an old and outdated stereotype about Appalachia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Death of parent

ninaleonie's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Drug use

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, and Abandonment

jadey_c23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Possibly the most beautifully written, heart wrenching, meaningful book I have ever read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

edingtonk's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Death

infinitezest's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

This is a really heartbreaking and evocative coming-of-age story that sets the reader squarely in the center of the opioid epidemic, rural poverty, and a broken child welfare system. I felt a LOT of emotions following along with Damon's story. I would rate the first half or so of the book 5 million stars, but the second half was so depressing and I felt it difficult, emotionally, to keep going at times. The ending felt like too quick of a wrap-up, like it was trying to meet a deadline for the book and spent too much time on the early years. I would still recommend it but with all the trigger warnings, and it's NOT a vacation book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

4.0

Demon Copperhead has all odds against him at birth: still in the amniotic sac when he slides out of his 18-year-old, drug addict of a mother, on the floor of a trailer. The only things the future has to offer are foster care, rawness and addiction. But Demon has a strong survival instinct and a dream: to one day see the ocean. 

Barbara Kingsolver has been inspired by Dickens' "David Copperfield" and she does a great job with changing the setting to our modern world. "Demon Copperhead" won both the Pulitzer Prize and Women's Prize for Fiction in 2023, as well as being chosen for Oprah's Book Club. I didn't pick it up for any of those reasons, but because I'm going to talk about this book (amongst others) at an event at work next week. I've been listening to the English version, but also read quite a lot from the Swedish edition I have at home (courtesy of the publisher).

To begin with I was wondering what I had gotten myself into, because it certainly isn't an encouraging read. It's heartbreaking and dense, but then we get tiny rays of hope, thankfully. In addition, Kingsolver has found the exact right tone for us to sympathize with the main character, even though he doesn't always do as you wish. Despite being given a bad hand - that sometimes lead to bad decisions - it's very clear that Demon Copperhead is a good person. He also has two talents; American football and drawing. One will ruin him, the other gives him a future. 

Don't let the amount of pages/hours stand in your way - this is a book worth reading. Now that I've finished it I wish I could have had more time with Demon!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Pregnancy