Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

181 reviews

staceyinthesticks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Mental illness, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Sexual content, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts

katelbr's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad slow-paced

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

4.75

I need to chew on this a little longer. 

My initial reaction is that this is a masterpiece and it’s not for everyone. The themes were so dark at times. I’m glad I read it because it gave me a lot of reasons to reflect on my own bias of Appalachian culture and the opioid epidemic. The slow pace of the story was annoying at times but completely necessary. This is a book with proper character development. All of the events and story lead to developing and exposing the main character rather than to climax a story. 

There were a few times I was acutely aware that a 60 year old woman was writing a teenage boys thoughts. But that would be my only complaint.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Drug abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual content, Mental illness, Death of parent, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Abortion, and Cursing

erinsca's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

Moderate: Sexual content, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Death, Alcoholism, Abortion, Bullying, and Addiction

lolo_lew's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

Incredibly well-written, tackles tough and complex topics in an approachable and meaningful way. Highly recommend but contains content that might be sensitive to some.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Classism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Vomit, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Abortion, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

phillybookish's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense 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, Grief, Alcohol, Classism, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Abandonment

Moderate: Medical content, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy, Child death, Miscarriage, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

lizmarasse's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Self harm, Homophobia, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

annadelph's review

emotional reflective sad 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

Possibly my favourite read of 2024 so far. So tragic yet hopeful, funny yet sad, with a really great ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Terminal illness

mushbop's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

i wish i could read this book for the first time again

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, Death, Miscarriage, Addiction, and Alcoholism

kirip's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

meggend's review

dark funny sad slow-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

4.0

Modeled after David Copperfield, the book is nearly 600 pages long. No matter the plot, this is a looooong one.

The reader follows Damon, a kid growing up in Appalachia in the '90s with a junkie mom, a deceased (and largely unknown) dad, and a cast of recurring characters as friends and chosen family. His story is not generally a happy one. This makes the 600 pages dense reading. However, the character's voice and outlook on life make his narrative an enjoyable one, despite the heaviness of the subject.

Big trigger warning: opioid addiction and other drug use. It's pervasive, and unfortunately this is reality for so many. Secondary warning: foster and orphan care and "the system."

Though I haven't read David Copperfield, I could see how a similar story could have been written 200 years ago, set in a similar inescapable cycle of poverty. Don't think I'll be picking that one up anytime real soon, though it's on my shelf (and also 600 pages).

This book was really good, but note that it's a commitment. And like with any commitment, you have to buy in or else you're not going to make it. If you have the time to give, allow yourself to get to know Appalachia and the cast of characters who call it home. Kingsolver does a beautiful job of painting the picture of a life without means or hope for change. The characters are swept along the river of country life, heading toward a predestined path. Only those with advocates and outside connections who care about them enough to help are able to defy the current and strike a different path for themselves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Physical abuse