Reviews

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

camcc115's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

This book felt kind of like vegetables - good, but not necessarily fun. I’m also a Dickens hater so that’s def part of it.

katiehutchison's review against another edition

Boring - nah it was alright I just can't remember what happened 

johnhodges's review

dark funny reflective sad 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

5.0

cometgrrl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

4.0

_annathology's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny sad tense slow-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

4.25

thornlet's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring sad tense 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

4.0

danap_reads's review against another edition

5.0

I need more stars for this book.

Demon Copperhead is a bleak and harrowing look at the opioid epidemic as it emerged in the Appalachia region, in this book Kentucky specifically but I think we can extrapolate to the rest of the poor rural Appalachian mining communities. Kingsolver's honest and raw storytelling follows Demon Copperhead, a child born into trouble and poverty who just keeps being dealt one shit deal after another. Made an orphan due to drug use, Demon enters the foster care system, a second area of brutal cultural exploration by Kingsolver, and bounces around from caregiver to caregiver until he reaches middle school. But even a permanent home doesn't mean a happy ending for Demon.

At times bleak and difficult to continue, Kingsolver does a masterful job of keeping most of the characters sympathetic without pathos, and somehow never quite losing sight of a thin, sometimes very thin, line of hope that continues throughout. I've never wanted a good ending for a character more than I have for Demon Copperhead.

Kingsolver's book is filled with her trademark quirky, interesting, complex characters and her opinions on social services, specifically concerning foster care are quite obvious, but she manages not to be heavy handed or preachy. Her love of rural Appalachia shines on every page. At nearly 600 pages, this could be a long, dark read, but somehow, brilliantly, it never loses the buoyant element of community, found family and love. I found the book to be utterly brilliant.

ggartel's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

kfront's review

dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

mpatti's review

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

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Excellent writing and storytelling. The audiobook reader was amazing, really brought the characters to life. I loved the first third to half then felt the story really slowed through his high school years. I wish the coach had a bigger part, he was there but absent. The ending was lovely, no good words, it was probably my favorite part of the book.