Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

125 reviews

sactownraces's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

This book was a gut punch from start to finish. Having not read David Copperfield, which this book is a retelling of, I did not know what to expect. As Barbara Kingsolver discusses briefly in the acknowledgement, it is a look into the institutional poverty of the Appalachian region of the United States, and how coal and opiates have effectively ruined any chance for rural communities to thrive. Throughout every step of Demon's journey I wanted only the best for him, and to tell him everything would be okay, despite his self destructive actions reinforced by the world he's living in. 

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Abandonment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

5.0

Demon Copperhead (Damon), son of a drug addicted young mother, takes us through his life as he fights to survive all that life throws at him. 

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.

Demon has fought his battles and won, what comes next is left to the imagination, but it ends in a note of hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

jacobs25's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Child abuse, Addiction, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Death

jennaviolet's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

staceyinthesticks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Mental illness, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Sexual content, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts

nami4793's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Violence, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

erinsca's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

Moderate: Sexual content, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Death, Alcoholism, Abortion, Bullying, and Addiction

rosiecotton_dancing's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional lighthearted reflective sad fast-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, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Vomit

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Grief

Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

lolo_lew's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

Incredibly well-written, tackles tough and complex topics in an approachable and meaningful way. Highly recommend but contains content that might be sensitive to some.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Vomit, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Abortion, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

bronzeageholly's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

Tackling this book felt like an immense task but I'm so so glad I completed it. 

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Bullying, and Kidnapping