Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

27 reviews

plusverb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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? No

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kniterature's review against another edition

This book is clearly very well written but also very dark. At this point in my life as a new mother I was unable to handle the content. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

gh2mi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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

If it gives any indication of this book's quality, I read almost exactly half of this book in one day, a feat I haven't accomplished for any book this size in years. The second half took me a lot longer to get through because it's a lot heavier, but it's just as good. I can't even begin to describe how many iconic quotes are in this book. I couldn't recommend this enough to anyone who loves literary fiction, smalltown America, and a witty as hell protagonist.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Racism

cloverandmoss's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

2.25

This book dragged on and on endlessly. Lot of filler that doesn’t add to the storyline .  The POV when main char was 8 yrs was not believable. Felt like homework to finish this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

beklovesbooks's review

dark emotional informative sad

4.0

I can see why it won a Pulitzer. Remarkable imagery, authentic voice, themes mostly came around to neat closure. 
Unfortunately, there were excessive graphic descriptions of drug use and sex. Every imaginable locker room crude sexual innuendo. It’s too bad the very good descriptive capabilities of the author was applied to trash you don’t want in your mind as well as nature and life.

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion

megan_harper's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Confinement, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Grief

ash_bees's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

Trigger warnings: all of them.

Well written.  Reminded me a lot of a modern Huckleberry Finn, but with the rough times didn't end when Huck's father dies.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

douglasgraves's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I've not read David Copperfield, but was familiar enough to know how this would go. 

Nevertheless, Kingsolver's Appalachian adaptation is nothing short of brilliant. She takes an ageless story and puts it smack in the middle of one of America's most often dismissed and forgotten regions. Without further disparaging Appalachia, she depicts the abuses of the system while capturing the hope in community that many are fortunate to have; reminding readers everywhere to recognize and be grateful for the support and encouragement that comes with strong communities, that we'd be nowhere without it.

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Confinement, Death, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit, Trafficking, and Toxic friendship

stellahadz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

The Pulitzer prize for this book was well-deserved. The writing is immersive and descriptive, plunging the reader into a world that may not be familiar to them (it certainly wasn't for me). I loved the descriptions of family life and Demon's desire to have somewhere to fit in. I was captivated by his journey and constantly rooting for him to find his home. The other characters were great, too - my personal favorite was Mr. Armstrong. The story is equal parts funny and heartbreaking, and it's definitely long, but absolutely worth it. The scene where

Demon drives away from Lee County and hikes into the mountains

made me tear up. It's the kind of book that I feel almost sad to have finished.

Spoilers ahead:

I know some people aren't fans of the "everything gets tied up neatly" type of ending, but I personally love it, and if anyone deserves it, it's Demon. Also, if I HAD to choose a complaint about this book, it would be that he may or may not end up dating his foster sister...

but the rest of the book is so incredible that I stand by the 5-star rating. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Confinement, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Medical content, and Abortion

mdwsn27's review against another edition

Janet Fitch's White Oleander manages to resonate like- and accomplish what- Demon Copperhead doesn't.

Maybe because this story is too familiar after working day-to-day with kids in DCFS custody, or since I haven't read David Copperfield (and no longer plan to), I didn't finish--having stopped at page 246. A shame considering how long I had this on my to-read list/waited for it to become available.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism