Reviews with content warning for Racism - Demon Copperhead

I'll admit it, this was a difficult book for me to read, and it's also a difficult one to review—not least because I feel that the things about it that made me struggle might be other readers' jam. For instance, the way it's written made me feel like I was reading a memoir rather than a fictional novel, except it was a memoir of a fictional person, and something about this discrepancy constantly pulled me out of the story. I do feel that for many other people, this style on the contrary can make the book more immersive. I also felt that some sections were really overwritten and could be made more impactful by tightening them up. But I'm also not sure if that's genuinely true, or if it's just my preference to more genre prose speaking.

I did learn a lot of new things from this book—about life in the Appalachians and about the opioid crisis. I related to a lot of the commentary about class and how rural people are looked down upon. Plenty of moments made me emotional in different ways, and I enjoyed the balance of utterly heartbreaking parts and the more hopeful ones, as well as the injections of dry humor in both. The depiction of poverty here is among the most powerful I've ever read. The book is really voicey, too, with a strong recognizable style, and that's definitely a strength—it's just that for me, personally, that voice was a miss for some reason.

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perfectsolitude's review against another edition

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challenging 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

3.5

My favourite books are generally books that are medium/slow paced, complex and following characters through a period of time. This book has all that, but, for some weird reason, it didn’t work out as well as expected.

But it was a good book, generally. The prose is slow but engaging. We follow Damon, who grows up in poor circumstances in Lee County and goes through unimaginable hardships. Important themes are poverty, addiction, teenage pregnancies, death and foster care, and these are all elements that touch you as a reader. This book did something to me, yes, and I enjoyed the ride.

So why didn’t it live up to my expectations? For one, the middle part just drew me out a little. Also, the ending was a bit too rounded off for me. I mean, some things were so obviously build up that I was almost hoping the author wouldn’t end with. But she did. Additionally, I feel some characteristics or plot lines were kept too conceptual, while other parts were too long without need.

Kingsolver wrote one of my all time favourite books, The poisonwood bible, and even though Demon Copperhead is a different experience and not as good for me, she proved she can write books you won’t forget.

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lindseyas's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-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

5.0

Such a beautifully written book with a wonderfully meaningful, political undertone. The story of a young boy who overcomes addiction, family death, abuse, mental health struggles, solitude, misunderstanding, classism and so much more. Over its 550 page run, this book is the story of boyhood in the Deep South, where growing up as someone deemed "different" is close enough to a death sentence. Damon, or "Demon's," journey towards self-acceptance and healing is a great, modern epic in its own right — his failures, his triumphs and his in-betweens were real and raw. That's the core of his novel — real life isn't glamorous or magical, but it's full of blood, sweat and tears.

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francestea's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

Phenomenal. Though it didn’t grip me immediately, I fell hard for the fascinating story and flawed/brutal/loveable characters. Each person is fully realized, complicated, and trying to get by however they can. I couldn’t remember much about David Copperfield but the more I researched after reading Demon Copperhead, the more I appreciated Kingsolver creative artistry. This is such an utterly brilliant retelling it will be one of my favourites this year for sure!

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pigeon_'s review against another edition

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emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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carriepond's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad slow-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

In Demon Copperhead, an epic reimagining of Charles Dickens's David Copperfield, Barbara Kingsolver creates an endearing and loveable hero, the kind you can't stop rooting for, even in the face of impossible odds (often self-imposed). The novel opens with Demon, nee Damon Fields, looking back on his childhood, from the very beginning: "First, I got myself born." Demon's mom is a "foster-care orphan dropout" who's been in and out of rehab since having him when she was eighteen and his dad died before he was born after drowning at the local swimming hole, "The Devil's Bathtub." Demon, so nicknamed because of his "copper-wire hair and some version of attitude," seems destined to follow in his mom's footsteps when she dies of an overdose on Demon's eleventh birthday. From there, Demon is passed around by an indifferent and inept foster care system, reconnects with distant family, becomes a popular member of his high school's football team, and struggles with addiction after a knee injury leaves him dependent on the pills prescribed to help him. Throughout the novel, we meet a wide cast of characters who love or hurt (and sometimes, both) our plucky hero, who is reflective and emotional but rarely self-pitying, despite the many reasons he'd have to be.

Don't let the "Dickens retelling" scare you off if you haven't read David Copperfield or worry the book will be highfalutin-- I enjoyed the book immensely despite not reading its inspiration, and although brilliantly written, the novel is relatable and readable. This is in no small part to the truly compelling main character Kingsolver creates in Demon. Kingsolver's fierce love of Appalachia and its people shines throughout the novel, and she pours that love into her main character. Because we watch Demon from the moment he "got born," we grow to love him and understand him even when he makes awful, self-destroying choices. The love that Kingsolver makes us feel for Demon also serves as the perfect foil to the novel's angry and visceral critique of the myriad ways capitalism exploits and throws away rural people and how the systems that should offer them support and help fail time and again. Demon reels us back in with his charm and keen observations any time the social commentary starts to feel heavy-handed, which gives the novel's larger themes the room they need to root themselves into the reader's heart.

However, the parts of the book that really resonated with me were those that explore Demon's relationships-- with his fellow foster boy turned dear friend and co-creator, with his stand-in family the Peggots (especially Mrs. Peggot and June), his "sister" turned confidante Angus, and ultimately, with his home: "It's hard to explain how you can miss a place and want it with all your heart, and be utterly sure it will obliterate you the instant you touch down."

I loved this novel, and I loved Demon. Highly recommend this heart-wrenching but beautiful and nuanced portrait of rural America, the opioid epidemic, and "the kids who wake up hungry and in those dark places every day."

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mackenziem12's review against another edition

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3.75

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