Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

78 reviews

saraberkes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Kingsolver is just so brilliant at characters, you root so hard for Demon through the whole book. I felt all the emotions reading this. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Minor: Suicide and Trafficking

bookthia's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

I cannot say enough good things about this book.  It was devastating and brutal and honest and authentic and beautiful and hopeful and everything else along the way. It was an indictment of the many broken systems that hold people down. It shone a light on darknesses most of us try to not-see even when they exist in our very homes and neighborhoods.  Kingsolver’s writing is lyrical and propulsive and powerful.  Demon’s narrative voice was spot-on perfection.  The ending — perfection.  

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I can’t recommend it to everyone— there is some hardcore trauma in this story.  

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Trafficking

Minor: Bullying

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.5

It's pretty much what you would expect for a Appalachian version of David Copperfield.  The characters were big and believable. I'm not a fan of coming of age stories.  I especially find it difficult to watch characters make bad decisions.  There was too much of the darkness in the real world in this novel and I found it difficult to stay in it.  Everything in me told me to abandon this book. I did not.  It's well written and a story that should be told.  It's just not my thing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

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

4.0

This is beautifully written and ultimately a poignant story. That said, it's incredibly painful to read a lot of the naked, laid bare depth of trauma experienced by all of the characters. If you can read with a knot in your gut for pretty much the entire book, definitely do it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, and Abandonment

gems_gems's review

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicide, Child death, and Death of parent

fanchera's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Drug use, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death

Minor: Trafficking and Sexual content

shelsy's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Death of parent, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, and Drug abuse

franklola's review

adventurous dark funny inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Medical content, Vomit, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Trafficking

Minor: Abortion, Animal death, and Bullying

angelaf's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

A line in Demon Copperhead says, "What matters in a story is the heart of its hero." That's what got me through this book - rooting for Demon. This is a hard novel to read. So hard, I had to take a break halfway through to read something lighter. Its language is gorgeous. I can't imagine having the talent to write Demon's voice while simultaneously providing insightful thoughts about the opioid crisis, institutional poverty, and the history of the Appalachians. One day, I would like to return to a slow, close read of Demon Copperhead alongside David Copperfield, but for now I will continue pondering the issues Kingsolver raises in this soon-to-be modern classic. Read if you enjoy: stories with long arcs, coming-of-age novels, Appalachian settings

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Trafficking

kyrstin_p1989's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

The type of soul-aching sad that prohibits you from even crying, this novel pushes the boundaries of what we know and understand about the ravages that drugs, particularly opiates, have doled out to the people of Appalachia. Even though you can see the cycle happening before it ever does, you can’t help but love and root for Demon as an unlikely hero. The characters are beautifully and painstakingly crafted to reflect the complexities found in mountain folks. For some reason, it took me a long time to finish the book — but I’m so glad I did. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Vomit, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Violence