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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this book, it challenged me in a lot of ways but the beautifully grounded prose pulled me through.
The powerful theme of empathy that the author weaves through the story I hope is noticed by more than just myself. When I wasn't relating to the child poverty, my heart was breaking for Demon's attempts to feel home and love.
Earlier in the book I found myself relating to (and a little triggered) by his circumstances like his abandonment and neglect and looking after his mother. Then he really leaned into a fatal hopelessness that I also related to despite myself and Demon's paths diverging more. He had to grow up earlier than other kids so when he's in his early teens, he feels surprised when his peers act like 'babies'. But once he's in his late teens and he is giving into the fix, he tries to excuse some of what he does by saying that's 'what kids do' thereby absolving himself of guilt. Even though the dirty dishes and laundry at Cranky's first revolted him, the same thing at Dori's he simply accepts.
And I was there for it every minute of the ride, until the last few pages. The tieing off into a little now felt rushed.This saga, then wandering off into the sunset?
The powerful theme of empathy that the author weaves through the story I hope is noticed by more than just myself. When I wasn't relating to the child poverty, my heart was breaking for Demon's attempts to feel home and love.
Earlier in the book I found myself relating to (and a little triggered) by his circumstances like his abandonment and neglect and looking after his mother. Then he really leaned into a fatal hopelessness that I also related to despite myself and Demon's paths diverging more. He had to grow up earlier than other kids so when he's in his early teens, he feels surprised when his peers act like 'babies'. But once he's in his late teens and he is giving into the fix, he tries to excuse some of what he does by saying that's 'what kids do' thereby absolving himself of guilt. Even though the dirty dishes and laundry at Cranky's first revolted him, the same thing at Dori's he simply accepts.
And I was there for it every minute of the ride, until the last few pages. The tieing off into a little now felt rushed.
I enjoyed the first half, but as the story progresses it becomes less believable and more of a shaggy dog story, and I struggled to get through the final 200 pages. Nonetheless it had some interesting information about how Oxy spread across the rust belt and its effects.
This book reminded me of the power of longer fiction, and the power of a single character's story. I've read a lot of intergenerational fiction lately, but this was 22hours of juts Demon's story, in his own words. There's a power to that.
The bildungsroman is used in a way to recount his recovery - as an adult he has to look back on his life to what got him to his addiction., so he can process and recover and build a new life for himself. But ultimately, tit's a story of a boy (he is under 18 for the vast majority of the book) trying to get through life in a world that either doesn't care or is creating cracks for him to fall through.
The shining lights are people in his life are people who don't give on him (Aunt June, Angus, Mr Armstrong & Miss Annie) . But ultimately it's Demon who is the one fighting so hard to keep going day by day.
Also, in a genre that could lean into poverty porn, this very much didn't feel like it. I think in part because it's first person - it feels like Demon is owning his story and choosing to share it with us, rather than you're a bystander consuming his trauma.
The audiobook narration was excellent and really immersed me in the story.
It was also fun looking up David Copperfield parallels and differences as I went.
The bildungsroman is used in a way to recount his recovery - as an adult he has to look back on his life to what got him to his addiction., so he can process and recover and build a new life for himself. But ultimately, tit's a story of a boy (he is under 18 for the vast majority of the book) trying to get through life in a world that either doesn't care or is creating cracks for him to fall through.
The shining lights are people in his life are people who don't give on him
Also, in a genre that could lean into poverty porn, this very much didn't feel like it. I think in part because it's first person - it feels like Demon is owning his story and choosing to share it with us, rather than you're a bystander consuming his trauma.
The audiobook narration was excellent and really immersed me in the story.
It was also fun looking up David Copperfield parallels and differences as I went.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated