Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

124 reviews

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

terrywho's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

David Copperfield in the time of the Oxy epidemic.

The only way I can think of describing this book is by calling it full of heart. This story was at the same time heartfelt and heartbreaking, and it made you unable to stop reading all the while dreading every new paragraph. 
This is a book about pain, grief and unimaginable hurt and yet it manages to never stew in that pain, even during the longest stretches of it in the narrative. It’s not a sad story for the sake of being sad, but it’s sadness serves a propose and highlights the cruelty of the world in such a way that sticks you even when you’ve closed the book. 

To summarize all my thoughts I’m just going to say that I’ve never read a book quite like it and I’m not sure I ever will.

**Added at the end because if mild spoilers**
A little personal note, and definitely not the most important thing about this book but my favorite part of it: I’m a comic book artist, and seeing the art form I love most in the world made to be the thing that opens up a kid’s words, a life-line that and allows him to see the first glimpse of what life could be, a way to understand a life that seems beyond your understanding, and a universal language to talk about you, your world, your comunity and your history never once failed to make me smile and love comics even more that I already did, which is something I didn’t think possible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Self harm, Death, Addiction, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Miscarriage

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

abi_dutton's review

challenging dark sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Addiction, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Mental illness, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, and Grief

mikitiale's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Barbara Kingsolver is just amazing. She truly has opened a window into Appalachian by examining her own experiences and observations in the region!

This book broke my heart in so many ways. The way Demon is so nonchalant and sarcastic about all the terrible messed up ways the adults in his life continued to fail him over and over again from even before he was born is so eye-opening and sad. From the young age of 10 Demon experiences domestic abuse from his stepfather, the death of his mother, failure and abuse within the foster care system, and more.

I absolutely 100% recommend this book. Just be prepared for some tears and a righteous anger as side effects.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Drug use, and Violence

dua_liepard's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Classism, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Physical abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Racism, Pregnancy, Medical content, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

katrinarose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

I struggle to rate this book, because I loved the writing style and the voice of Demon was so incredibly strong and authentic and believable, but I also wasn’t that excited to pick this book up, and it took me a while to finish. I thought the theme of the overlooked rural parts of the U.S. was interesting and thought-provoking, but at times almost turned into more of a history/sociopolitical lesson that felt out of context and forced. I wish the author had explained these concepts a little less and given the reader some more credit for being able to read in between the lines/use the story as a jumping off point for more of their own research. Overall it was a really good book just not one that sucked me in and made me love it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Classism, Drug abuse, Grief, Drug use, Medical trauma, and Death

Moderate: Cursing and Misogyny

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Racism, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts

rmlknisely's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Alcohol, Classism, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Racism, Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse