Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

47 reviews

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

abi_dutton's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Addiction, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Mental illness, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, and Grief

soyboysimon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

Knew from the first line that it was going to be a good read. "First, I got myself born." Demon is clever and witty and full of heart from that first sentence to the last. This book will make you cry, laugh, cringe, and shout for joy, sometimes all on the same page.

I won't say that it was easy to read(it took me a month), but it was definitely fun to read. Who cares about sentences making sense and following grammar rules? Not Demon.

Great book! Hits some hard topics but in a way that shines light on the problems and makes me feel more knowledgable about them. My takeaway from it is that no matter where life starts you out, there are always choices to be made and consequences to be had. Maybe sins are most of the time passed down from the generations, but maybe they don't have to be. The cycle can be broken. Ain't no hill for a climber.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cursing, Excrement, Vomit, Animal death, Alcohol, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide, Stalking, and Car accident

seanzie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.75

I enjoyed this book. The plot was powerful and applicable to people I love’s experiences. It did feel stressful and hard every time I went to listen. Maybe a bit long but certainly a book that makes you remember the experiences of those that might be so different from yours. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Violence, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death, Alcoholism, and Grief

amaribph's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

I truly loved this book. One of Kingsolver's best. It is a brilliant retelling of David Copperfield, but it reads well even if you're not familiar with that classic.

I was very moved by Demon's plight. Even though it was very emotionally difficult to read, I feel grateful to have learned so much through Kingsolver's gorgeous writing about that part of our country, the terrible faultiness of our foster care system, and the opioid crisis.

It was long, but I felt it was well-paced, well-edited, and not at all too complicated or technically challenging. I can't say it's an "easy read" because the subject matter is dark and sad, but the writing itself is very well organized and easy to follow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Grief, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

haleypaige91's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Drug use, Classism, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Death, Child abuse, and Toxic relationship

nreyno's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

sjtowry'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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Classism, Racism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Pregnancy, Violence, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Trafficking, Vomit, Addiction, Abortion, Abandonment, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

sjanke2's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a challenging book, both in the sense of Demon's stream-of-consciousness voice and the trials he endures. But after 50 pages, one's brain adapts to Kingsolver's writing style. The audiobook narrator helped in developing a stride. Demon goes through so much, and there's a balance of both good and bad influences in the side characters. I also appreciated Kingsolver's strong stance on the war wreaked upon Appalachians by land grabbers, mining companies, and Big Pharma. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Animal death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Emotional abuse, Rape, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Gun violence, Trafficking, War, Abortion, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

bobbij94's review

adventurous dark emotional

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

2.75

Mixed feelings about this one...I was very much immersed in this novel and honestly couldn't get enough. I personally enjoy this style of narration. I appreciate that this book sheds light on issues of poverty, trauma, and addiction.
I knock down some stars because something in this gives me the ick. Lots of stereotypes that goes from bad to worse. Very sad story that is the reality of thousands of Americans. 

Sad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Drug abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs