Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

70 reviews

agnesg's review

challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, and Car accident

mreads03's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is an incredibly hard and emotional book but it's worth the read. It addresses personal and social values in a way that is infrequently discussed in our age. It shines a direct and unflinching light on the effects of poverty and the opioid crisis in modern rural America. It's going to be one of those books you walk away from and think about for years to come.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

pineapple_png's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Remarkably reflective story following the life of a boy who's had a wrench thrown in every single one of his plans. The reader can easily find themself sympathizing with traditionally "wrong" or "evil" mindsets. The cast of characters are diverse and tragic in their own ways, it's hard not to connect with a character in this story. Kingsolver touches on a variety of different themes-- ranging from addiction, poverty, and more. The writing is also very indulgent, and there is hardly a line or metaphor that goes to waste in this novel. Truly a classic ahead of its time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Sexual harassment

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Sexual content, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

truthfoundhere's review

emotional reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

lindseyas's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

Such a beautifully written book with a wonderfully meaningful, political undertone. The story of a young boy who overcomes addiction, family death, abuse, mental health struggles, solitude, misunderstanding, classism and so much more. Over its 550 page run, this book is the story of boyhood in the Deep South, where growing up as someone deemed "different" is close enough to a death sentence. Damon, or "Demon's," journey towards self-acceptance and healing is a great, modern epic in its own right — his failures, his triumphs and his in-betweens were real and raw. That's the core of his novel — real life isn't glamorous or magical, but it's full of blood, sweat and tears. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

bethbarron's review

5.0

This is brilliant and BLEAK and true and awful. Kingsolver did such a wonderful job. Well deserving of her pulitzer.

It took me probably a month to read this - it is brutally dark and full of trauma. Do not read this expecting happiness at all. But, damn, a story that needed to be told (do we have another novel this compelling about the opioid crisis?), and what a way to do it with a retelling of David Copperfield.

I haven't read Dickens since high school and I'm sure having some distance from Copperfield helped this feel original for me. I had my doubts about a retelling, but I think Kingsolver created a masterpiece and (further) cemented herself as a great Southern author. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and Abortion

spectra37's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

pigeon_'s review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Homophobia and Abortion

laura_cat's review

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.75

Took me about 100 pages to adjust to the voice. This is a difficult book to read: you’ll be immersed in loss, injustice, and systemic oppression. Though there is humor throughout the book, too. And Kingsolver does a great job of helping readers understand the severity of the opioid crisis. Read with caution, especially if you are sensitive to child abuse, being orphaned as a child, and drug addiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexism, Slavery, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Toxic friendship