You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
tigertheory'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Dementia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Outing, Sexual harassment, and War
e11lla's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism
corriejn's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Abortion, and Pregnancy
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The only other book I have read by Barbara Kingsolver was The Poisonwood Bible a couple of years ago, so I will make some comparisons based on that. Truly, the two books aren't that similar. Demon Copperhead is a reimagining of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, just set in the modern day with a look at poverty and issues of our times, versus Dickens's own commentary of his time period. However, The Poisonwood Bible also touches on issues that persist today, just those that pertain to the colonization of the African continent, in particular, the colonization of what used to be known as the Congo. Kingsolver is a genius when it comes to showing you a world outside of your own, whether that is an African community or the Appalachian country folk. Her prose is also still something to be lauded, as she really transformed language to make that which occurred in Demon's life sometimes more tragic, and sometimes straight up hilarious in the face of tragedy.
I am comfortable recommending this book, though I am not sure how much those who have not read Kingsolver before will enjoy it. It can get quite depressing at times, and I highly recommend checking out content warnings for those who could be triggered by the heavy themes within the book. This is not a book for some light reading.
Still, I hope others check it out as I loved the look into Appalachian culture as someone who lives in Virginia, though Northern, and is aware of the rural parts of our state but never quite visited long enough to learn more than what was taught in school. And, as Kingsolver says in her acknowledgments, "For the kids who wake up hungry in those dark places every day, who've lost their families to poverty and pain pills, whose caseworkers keep losing their files, who feel invisible, or wish they were: this book is for you."
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Abortion
tea_and_starstuff's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
sarahyjackson'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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia
chupacobbruh's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse and Drug abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
bookishpower's review
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder, and Sexual harassment
jennifer_vars's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
For me, this is the best book of 2022.
"Demon Copperhead" was born in a trailer in Southern Appalachia to a drug-using teenage mother. An achievement that of which he says, “That’s like the Eagle Scout of trailer trash.”
The story is a reimagining of Dickens' "David Copperfield" but instead of taking place in 19th Century England, it's set in rural southwest Virginia.
The story is told by Demon (real name Damon). As a foster child, he faces tragedy after tragedy navigating a community that's been plagued with poverty and poisoned by addiction. You can't help but root for him to pull through, even though it doesn't always seem like he will. I imagine, for a lot of people this book will hit close to home, it did with me.
Barbara Kingsolver really knows how to tell a story. I like how she entertwines history here. We learn about the area's involvement in the Civil War, coal miner's sacrifices, whiskey rebellions and the introduction of pharmaceutical companies.
I especially love her way of writing about the land. From the beginning she paints a picture of the young boys playing in creeks on a muddy bed and the end where trails and forests are written about with reverence. "I felt the kindliness of the moss, which is all over everywhere once you get out of the made world. God’s flooring. All the kinds, pillowy, pin-cushiony, shag carpet. Gray sticks of moss with red heads like matchsticks. Some tiny dead part of me woke up to the moss and said, Man. Where you been."
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
ambersbooks's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment