Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

507 reviews

itsalljinri's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief

aliciaallen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

miranda_444's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

elksterrr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-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

Dark, tragic, heartwrenching, beautifully told story. 

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Content Warnings

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

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

ynaiita_5896's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

🚍 Damon 'Demon Copperhead' was born to a teenaged single mother in a trailer park in Lee County, Virginia. He tells his life story from birth to adulthood, depicting how the odds were always stacked against him in a story of loss, love and survival.

🚍 Battling loneliness, poverty, substance abuse and a broken home, Demon's story never pauses for relief. Kingsolver is a genius and beautifully writes Demon's heartbreaking and hopeful story while still injecting moments of humour and warmth.

🚍 Adding her own twist to Charles Dickens' classic David Copperfield, the author shines the spotlight on the broken boys whom society have given up on because they are born into a cruel world, the one they've only ever truly known. Applause must also be given to the colourful, tragic, lovable characters in Demon's life that I rooted for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Mental illness

defiantturtle's review against another edition

The writing style was difficult for me to read. There were too many run on sentences and cases where sentences just seemed to end in the wrong spot. It was also a bit too depressing. Most of the characters were unlikable. The final straw was the narrator calling a non-Christian religion "some whole other Christianity". I'm not sure if that was supposed to be funny, but it just made me annoyed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Child abuse

Moderate: Death of parent and Homophobia

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

jnsonney's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

alyssaakdefusco's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

This book will be an all-timer for me. My goodness. Kingsolver's ability to inhabit this narrator is absolutely astounding, especially given the narrative voices she's used in her other books. The absolute precious care that each person in this story was treated with through Demon's eyes will stay with me forever. Struggling with them through poverty, homelessness, addiction, but still experiencing the immense joy is such a visceral experience. I could go on and on. This book was a gift!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Grief, and Drug use

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse