Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

50 reviews

yourssincerelyemma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Rape, Abandonment, Medical content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Homophobia, Abortion, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

libscote's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

4.5

This isn't a book I'd normally read, but my book group selected it so I did. It's really good! It shows the love of Appalachia but also why it's hard to stay there. How the drugs got in, and decimated the valley. Why the schools are the way they are. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Car accident, Alcohol, and Abandonment

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

3.5

It's pretty much what you would expect for a Appalachian version of David Copperfield.  The characters were big and believable. I'm not a fan of coming of age stories.  I especially find it difficult to watch characters make bad decisions.  There was too much of the darkness in the real world in this novel and I found it difficult to stay in it.  Everything in me told me to abandon this book. I did not.  It's well written and a story that should be told.  It's just not my thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

feebles640's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

Minor: Abortion and Bullying

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death

booksarebrainfood's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia

Minor: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Gaslighting, Ableism, and Medical trauma

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

The type of soul-aching sad that prohibits you from even crying, this novel pushes the boundaries of what we know and understand about the ravages that drugs, particularly opiates, have doled out to the people of Appalachia. Even though you can see the cycle happening before it ever does, you can’t help but love and root for Demon as an unlikely hero. The characters are beautifully and painstakingly crafted to reflect the complexities found in mountain folks. For some reason, it took me a long time to finish the book — but I’m so glad I did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Vomit, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Violence

singout's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Abortion, Blood, Cursing, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

snapshotsofabookishlass's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Classism, Child death, Cancer, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Vomit, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Death

katrinky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

I haven't like a BK book since prodigal summer in 2007, after she wrote 3 of my all-time faves in the first era of her career. this is the book I think she was trying to write for the last 3. they were her "return to Appalachia and write about country problems" starter wheels. I found them all overly obvious and preachy. this one had the same agenda but was subtle and let the story breathe. and SUCH  a love letter to the land; I found it extremely moving (and persuasive! I already love the Shenandoah valley, and am now devoted to going further west and exploring SW VA).  I loved the characters of Demon, Angus, Tommy, June and really all the Peggots, Annie, Mr. Armstrong, and Emmy. I also read a book about drug addiction for 540 pages without hating anybody!! I'm on the record as a huge asshole about addiction narratives, 100% of my empathy disappears and I turn into a full-blown Karen/Republican. but this one bucked the trend! Maybe I'm not a terrible person?! anyway, this book was excellent and I recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma