Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

85 reviews

writingcaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is brutally honest in presenting to the world the truth about the Appalachian mountains hillbillies and rednecks, but with the candor of youth, with little cynicism, through the eyes of Demon Copperhead a boy orphaned too soon by an addict mom who couldn’t deal with his father’s death before he was even born, who is then brought up in a tired, unfair child services system, and without no surprise becomes a cliche of the youth in such places.
It’s a proper dramatic book, that doesn’t shy away from the ugly truths of living in an enforced poverty.
It opened my eyes and taught me much, about rednecks and hillbillies - the prejudice and truth, about old wars, old scars that never heal, and about the Melungeon (who most have even a little of Portuguese blood, go figure).
I knew already about the dope sickness and how it affected especially small towns such as the one Demon lives in, a place of nature, extremes of beauty, and of hardship.
It’s impossible not to feel moved by Demon, his sweet soul, his bright intellect and extreme creativity, but with an unfortunate low low self esteem. A child forced to grow up too soon, a teen that has lives depending on him before he even enters adulthood, a person that loses too much before he is even grown, and whose dreams are always thwarted and the worse seems to always happen. There are reprieves, fortunately, his friendship with the Peggs, finding his father’s family, and moments so happy he fears them, dreads the loss before it happens, thus not letting himself enjoy them, like the time with Angus and the General, the family he has for a little while, and the success in high school.
I can’t put into words all this book did for me and to me,  the wonder and sadness, and everything in between, so it’s definitely no surprise the Pulitzer and all the other awards it won.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Racism, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Blood

Minor: Abortion, Vomit, Rape, and Animal death

deetabz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Excrement, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, and Grief

Minor: Car accident and Pregnancy

annick's review against another edition

Obliged to return to library. Misery upon misery. And yet some of it grew on me. Some of the passages are emotionally enchanting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Racism, Death of parent, Confinement, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Bullying, Addiction, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

meganashlee27's review against another edition

reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

astronautin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Minor: Racism, Pedophilia, and Homophobia

khourianya's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, and Death of parent

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Excrement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Suicide and War

clorbor07's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Racism and Rape

mkarrs's review against another edition

funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Incredible narration, the book is funny and drops you fully into Damon/Demon's mind. I think that the setting is more accessible if you're familiar to Appalachia. Kingsolver very aptly addresses some of the big themes that face the region: coal, addiction, complicated family dynamics, at a time that the flint was really striking the steel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism and Addiction

Moderate: Racism and Mental illness

tinjohh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Abortion, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking