Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

39 reviews

writingcaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is brutally honest in presenting to the world the truth about the Appalachian mountains hillbillies and rednecks, but with the candor of youth, with little cynicism, through the eyes of Demon Copperhead a boy orphaned too soon by an addict mom who couldn’t deal with his father’s death before he was even born, who is then brought up in a tired, unfair child services system, and without no surprise becomes a cliche of the youth in such places.
It’s a proper dramatic book, that doesn’t shy away from the ugly truths of living in an enforced poverty.
It opened my eyes and taught me much, about rednecks and hillbillies - the prejudice and truth, about old wars, old scars that never heal, and about the Melungeon (who most have even a little of Portuguese blood, go figure).
I knew already about the dope sickness and how it affected especially small towns such as the one Demon lives in, a place of nature, extremes of beauty, and of hardship.
It’s impossible not to feel moved by Demon, his sweet soul, his bright intellect and extreme creativity, but with an unfortunate low low self esteem. A child forced to grow up too soon, a teen that has lives depending on him before he even enters adulthood, a person that loses too much before he is even grown, and whose dreams are always thwarted and the worse seems to always happen. There are reprieves, fortunately, his friendship with the Peggs, finding his father’s family, and moments so happy he fears them, dreads the loss before it happens, thus not letting himself enjoy them, like the time with Angus and the General, the family he has for a little while, and the success in high school.
I can’t put into words all this book did for me and to me,  the wonder and sadness, and everything in between, so it’s definitely no surprise the Pulitzer and all the other awards it won.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Pregnancy, Racism, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Blood

Minor: Abortion, Vomit, Rape, and Animal death

taymorton20's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Sexual violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

5.0

‘To be here was to be known.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Child death, Death, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Excrement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Suicide and War

alisonvh's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

This is my favorite book by Barbara Kingsolver I’ve read so far. Not sure if it’s the book or the fact that I listened to this one rather than reading it, but either way I loved every minute.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Grief, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Suicide, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Violence, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Racism

crossinthepnw's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Oh man…where to even start with this one. Demon Copperhead is easily one of my top three reads for 2023, and will always hold a special place in my heart. To be clear - this is my first Kingsolver work I’ve read (and now I will be reading more of her stories!), and I’ve never read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens…but now I am curious to read the source behind the inspiration for her novel.

Demon Copperhead will piss you off. It will make you cry. You will try to remind yourself that this is a work of fiction, but is clearly based in reality, which will in turn make you even more upset that this kind of shit is still happening. If you didn’t hate Big Pharma before (which if you already don’t…come on), you will after reading this novel. It also made me think about the joke of the war on drugs and the opioid crisis. How our foster care system is screwed. How some folks are just fucked before they even get a start in life.

But the novel isn’t all doom and gloom, I promise. There is hope, love, joy, and laughs along the way. It’s also a coming of age story about a boy who many people wouldn’t give a second thought about on account of where he grew up. The first person narrative of Demon took this tale to another level; Kingsolver has a way of transporting you to his world and his life.

 I am so happy that Kingsolver took the time to tell this story, about the “rednecks”, “hillbillies”, or “trailer trash” folks don't seem to give a shit about, and how the opioid epidemic has done so much damage in Appalachia. Please, read this one; I read it in five days because I could not put it down!

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Cancer, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide

grboph's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

This was a really amazing book. It was such a compelling story that touches on so many important issues that affect the world today, and kind of made me want to read the original David Copperfield!! Kingsolver is such an excellent writer and I would recommend this book to literally anyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Outing, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion and Dementia

fjcookie'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this book took me an ageeee to read!! it is very dense but I feel like i've just read a whole life story so that is probably why!! the scope of this book is crazy and I really loved it. I found the second half a lot more compelling and interesting than the first half and I read it so much faster. 
this has the vibes of Shuggie Bain, but American. both novels are such interesting looks at vulnerable childhood lives, but the scope of this one feels bigger than Shuggie Bain. (I love both equally)
the narration is such a compelling one, funny and bitter but also heartfelt. so many characters and events built into a bigger narrative, artfully building towards disaster time and time again. there were times when I almost couldn't read because I couldn't deal with Demon being distressed and upset again! I also love the repeated motifs throughout the novel, knitting this massive scope together- particularly, the ocean, water and drowning motifs. Also the Mary Oliver-esque discovery of self in the moss and the woods, ugh, had my heart singing. 

• p2- 'save or be saved, these are questions. You want to think it's not over till the last page.'
• p296- 'she liked to tease me that if we lived to a hundred, she would still be the one to get there first. Which was true. No credit given for all the extra miles that take you nowhere.'
• p329- 'good people, bad people, what does that even mean? Get down to the rock and the hard place, and we're all just soft flesh and the weapon at hand.'
• p385- 'many had tried to do their best with us, but we came out of too-hungry mothers. Four demons spawned by four different starving hearts.'
• p409- 'you'll look at this person that's your whole world and offer to go get something, the little hit that so easily brings her back. You do it as an act of love. I've known no greater'
• p451-'I'd helped Emmy into the tunnel that day, but I also lied to her. If something scares you, you get your ass out of there. I should have said. Everything will not be okay.'
• p504- 'it comes down to velocity. this was a business of outrunning ghosts, and there was no end to my dead'
• p506- 'some tiny part of me woke up to the moss and said, Man. Where you been. This is the fucking wonderful world of colour.'
• p507- 'the light looked drinkable. it poured on a mountain so I saw the curve of every treetop edged in gold
• p529- 'if it had been July, my heart already would have cracked for the beauty. As it was, I might die of loneliness'
• p544- 'For a minute the sun came out, while it was snowing. People say that means the devil is beating his wife. Then the snow stopped, which I took to mean she was leaving the bastard.'
• p546- 'That's where we are. Well past the Christiansburg exit. Past Richmond, and still pointed east. Headed for the one big thing I know is not going to swallow me alive.' 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit, Animal death, Blood, and Suicide

nialiversuch's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death

janemylechreest's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Death, Drug use, Cursing, Grief, Miscarriage, and Child abuse