Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Demon Copperhead

I loved the narrator’s voice! A retelling of David Copperfield but through the modern lens of being in Appalachia and also dealing with the opioid crisis. Despite all of the troubles life deals Demon, he’s a main character you can’t help but root for and I loved his relationship with Angus.

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boothdwellerbooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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christaleebee90's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

Wow. I’m still a little awe struck by this book.
I purposefully gave it time. I didn’t rush through it. And I’m so glad.
Every moment of this book deserves time and attention. Analysis and introspection. Empathy and compassion. Horror and respect.
It’s a tragically beautiful story about the parts of our country and world we’d rather ignore.
Everyone should read this. No Dickens schema required.

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sha's review

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emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Demon Copperhead is a fully realised character study that immerses the reader in the life of its narrator, a boy growing up in rural Appalachia. As a modern retelling of David Copperfield, the novel explores themes of poverty, resilience, and systemic injustice, all while maintaining a deeply personal and emotionally engaging perspective.

Much like Shuggie Bain, Demon Copperhead sensitively portrays a young boy’s struggle to survive in a world that seems determined to break him. Kingsolver doesn’t shy away from the horrors of addiction, neglect, and exploitation—particularly in her searing depiction of the opioid crisis—but she does so with compassion, never reducing her characters to mere symbols of suffering. Instead, she gives them depth, agency, and moments of unexpected grace.

The novel’s immersive prose brings Demon’s voice to life with humor, grit, and unflinching honesty. Kingsolver captures both the harsh realities and the small joys of his world, making his journey all the more compelling. The result is a story that is both devastating and hopeful, a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and survival.

This is a type of story I don’t normally enjoy, but surprisingly it kept my attention in the form of an audiobook! Although, some parts in the middle dragged on, and became repetitive.

Torn between 3.5-4/5 ⭐️

Just as an aside - I greatly enjoyed the detailed writing on farming in Demon’s first temporary foster placement.

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narcolex's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

This book will break your heart, put it back together, and break it again. I was fully on board for all of it.

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ebody88's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

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alicroz34's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

People love to believe in danger, as long as it's you in harm's way, and them saying bless your heart.

We kids roamed wide, sometimes as far as the old coal camps with the little row houses like Monopoly, except not all alike anymore due to idle mischief and the various ways a roof can cave in.

The microwave he'd bought her with the blue lit-up clock said 4:21. Nine minutes to go. I didn't want to be in that kitchen, and I didn't want to go back to the farm. I sat still, trying to be nothing and nowhere, watching my minutes tick out.

And I'd have to go on living with what an asshole I'd been to her, especially at the end that I didn't know was the end. Last time I'd seen her at the house, did I even say goodbye, or let her hug me? I can't tell you. I've tried and will go on trying to see those last minutes again, pounding on them sometimes like it's the door of a damn bank vault, but if there's anything in there at all to be remembered, it's not coming to me. Access denied.

Instead, I get to remember every single thing about the funeral. That day sits big and hard in my brain like this monster rock in the ocean, waiting to wreck me. I wish to God it would leave my brain. It stays.

The people in the church looked like strangers. Some or most I'm sure I'd met before, but I wasn't seeing faces, just the rock-hard hearts. All of them thinking Mom brought this on herself, and was getting the last ride she deserved in that cheap white casket. A mean side to people comes out at such times, where their only concern is what did the misfortunate person do to put themselves in their sorry fix. They're building a wall to keep out the bad luck. I watched them do it.

At the start of the service they did that song about Amazing God, and I felt exactly the opposite: I once could see but now I'm blind, was found but now I'm lost.

It hit me pretty hard, how there's no kind of sad in this world that will stop it turning. People will keep on wanting what they want, and you're on your own.

... so this Mouse individual had to be from a galaxy far far away. Filly she said, which is a girl horse and made no sense until she clarified it was a town, Philadelphia.

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.

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gfiore11's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

This is undoubtedly a great piece of literature, so I’m not really sure why I can’t give it a higher rating. The character development is unparalleled, and Kingsolver has some truly remarkable nuggets of beauty and wisdom nestled in her prose. However, I couldn’t help feeling like I wasn’t sure why the protagonist was writing this book, and I wasn’t convinced that this would be his voice. Also, I felt that there was unnecessary suspense and foreshadowing for a book that is all about growing up and institutional poverty. Could edge into the realm of preachy at times too. I’m happy it ended on a hopeful note - I think the characters deserve that.

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