Reviews tagging 'Death'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

543 reviews

ashlynregan's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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 old white lady does not write like an old white lady. She is very talented. READ THIS BOOK.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

emleyb's review

challenging emotional 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

4.25

A great read, excruciating storyline at many parts. I loved Demon and found my heart breaking for him again and again. The first half was my favorite, the second half was still great, the content was just very difficult to get through. The whole thing really opened my eyes to the unique culture of Appalachia- I was doing side research the entire read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Death

raechrae's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sandro_reads'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have never read Dickens’ David Copperfield which provided the inspiration for this novel so I did not have that as a reference point. But, Kingsolver delivers a tour-de-force with characters who felt so real, I often heard their voices while reading.

It’s a heartbreaking tale of systemic poverty and the opioid crisis in rural Appalachia that grabs you and takes hold. I did not want it to end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

siaeme12's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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

4.5

Depressing and frustrating, but realistic like nothing else. You understand the motives and perspectives, both feel sympathy and anger toward demon. An unfortunately raw tale of institutionalized systems designed to perpetuate poverty and disenfranchisement in America. If you like this book , I'd also recommend Dopesick.

Love the ending. A promise of better, recognition finally of the good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

karamojagirl's review

dark emotional sad tense 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

3.0

This was a hard read for me. I learned a lot about a life I’ve never experienced and hope I never do! I’m thankful there was some redemption at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

douglasgraves's review

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.

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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

lisajha's review

challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

famousthecat's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. Barbara Kingsolver's telling from the perspective of Demon was just brilliant. I believed from the very beginning I was listening to his voice, this fully formed person, the whole time. 

I'm thankful for the happy-ish ending. About 3/4 of the way through, I told my husband my heart was breaking because I just didn't see how this was going to work out for the main characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, and Abandonment

menahilnauman's review

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-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

4.5

so interesting! loved the storytelling, albeit depressing at times

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Trafficking