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mistercrow's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Classism
swformentano's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
sactownraces's review
- 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
5.0
I would highly recommend this book to better understand, as a city folk, how the 'other half' live so we can better influence the discussion at a national level.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
- 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
Demon is the voice of the impoverished, opiod addicted, abandoned people of Appalachia. His voice is incredibly unique and his story tell one of resilencey, loyalty, and pride. This book never stops as he ensures foster care, child labour, the broken education system, addiction, and crushing losses. This book is messy, emotional, and intense. This story could have been very bleak, yet within the pages is a tale of hope with a touch of humor.
The book is so beautifully written and the setting plays almost like a secondary character in how intertwined and vivid it is.
Demon is an immensely flawed, but likable character. We're rooting for him to succeed. He ensures abandonment, abuse, homelessness, addiction, and so much loss. His life forces him to grow up so fast, otherwise he literally would not survive. Yet, through all he endured, he does just that, he survives and perseveres.
We are introduced to so many other interesting and captivating characters along the way. They all played such an important role in his life. Maggot, the lost soul just trying to survive while being so different. Tommy, the soft hearted man who pulls himself up against insurmountable odds. The Peggots, the kind hearted neighbours who help as much as they can. Dorie, the lost girl who could never be saved. Angus, the girl who supported him no matter what. His teachers, who encouraged and supported him to follow his dream of drawing. This is such a memorable cast of characters.
Unfortunately, the author does lean very heavily on the stereotypes of the Appalachia region. Every stereotype you can think of about that region happens Demon in this book. I wish that there would have been a little more breaking stereotypes rather than amplifying them. That said, I did think that Demon was a very interesting and captivating character.
With so many heavy topics addressed in this book, it does veer towards feeling preechy or like a lecture at times.
I really liked the ending.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
erinsca's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
terrywho's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Miscarriage
bronzeageholly's review against another edition
4.75
For those who know David Copperfield, it is a close enough interpretation to make you go "oh no! I know where this is going! stop the ride!" at least once a chapter. But, in saying that, it is also a very unique concept, an incredible tale of the care system and opioid crisis in the US.
Each character was so well fleshed out, in particular Demon; his narratorial voice was so strong, moving, and hilarious. His thoughtfulness, his anger, his empathy are heartbreaking. The accounts of each of the characters moved me to tears many times; I wanted desperately to reach into the pages and swoop Demon and the others away to safety.
I found the pacing quite difficult to get into and had to swap from the physical book to an audiobook around 1/5 of the way in. The lack of abstraction throughout meant that when there were descriptions of intense suffering my reading quickened ("I need to keep going to make sure they're okay"), and then would slow dramatically during the 'bildungsroman' areas. Because of this I had an on-again-off-again relationship with the book, however the audiobook helped immensely and I found myself unable to put it down for the last few hours.
The central themes of addiction, judgement, loss, and love are devastating and important, and I would implore every adult to read it. There are so many lines that I will hold with me forever.
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Classism
annadelph's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
dua_liepard's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
lyndle's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Violence, Car accident, and Toxic friendship