Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

378 reviews

bwilliams24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

jodiebielenberg's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

moonbasket's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

This book is upsetting and stressful. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is a well crafted story about a minority demographic in the Appalachian mountains. As a Tennessee queer, this story was extremely important to me. It was also very well written. Check the content warnings for your triggers, but if it's within your tolerance, I highly recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Abortion, and Pregnancy

stacykins78's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

suzek86's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

3.0

3.5 stars; great characters and an important under lying theme about the opioid and drug crisis, but I felt like it was unnecessarily long. I really enjoy the author and her writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

ash_aumi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

blankcrayon's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

4.0

The narrator felt wholly authentic. From beginning to end, I was immersed in the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, and War

overwaterer's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative 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

Narration, perfect. 
I'm not usually one for coming of age stories, and certainly this one's not for the faint of heart. But I loved the way the complexity in voice grew up with the protagonist. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

snarkycrafter's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

Wow. This was a great piece of literature that was a very difficult read. It hurts some really hard, and dark, topics and themes. 

I did not look forward to reading some parts of it and had to read it in small bursts. It took me liber than usual to get through it. BUT, it was worth it. It’s decidedly worth the read…just difficult and painful to process. Definitely take a look at the trigger warnings because…damn. 

Anybody will tell you, the born  of this world are marked from the get out. Win or lose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

squirmosauruslex's review

challenging emotional reflective 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

So good! Definitely not lighthearted.  I listened to this book on 1.2 speed and it never dragged. Please note the content warnings— the narrative deals with several difficult topics, though none felt gratuitous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Mental illness, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

This book deals heavily with poverty, abuse, neglect, and the substance use (and death) that often follows.