Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

36 reviews

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

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

annadelph's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

Possibly my favourite read of 2024 so far. So tragic yet hopeful, funny yet sad, with a really great ending.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Terminal illness

dua_liepard's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Classism, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Physical abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Racism, Pregnancy, Medical content, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

am4man's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Drug use, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Grief, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Abortion and Homophobia

lizandlibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Addiction, Death, Abandonment, Drug use, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness

justdiana's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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 of parent, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Trafficking, Sexual content, Cancer, and Vomit

chloerom's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicide and Animal death

meganriner's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Classism, Grief, Miscarriage, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

Moderate: Terminal illness and Pedophilia

Minor: Pregnancy

opplecopter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Grief, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Child death, Cursing, Death, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Terminal illness, Vomit, Confinement, Cancer, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Abortion, Car accident, and Pedophilia