Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

40 reviews

bb8isbbgr8t's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I have such mixed feelings about this book. I really want to love it but I just… it feels a little exploitative, almost? I do think the ending redeemed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

geeky_mcgee's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book captivated me beginning to end. The story of a boy who is given the short end of the stick time and time again, gaining hope and then losing it, and tumbling through cycles of personal and systemic trauma. Demon is a brilliant main character. He’s filled with the sins of his past and the mistakes of his future, forced into boxes of who others think he is. His friends and loved ones are equally as complicated and damaged, all of them dancing around each other and never quite addressing their issues. 

This book is very emotional to get through. As someone who also lives in a rural place, many elements hit close to the heart and made me view my community in a more compassionate way. The struggles Demon faces are true to many people I’ve met, and getting to see how each situation he was in shaped him was horrifically sad and tragically poetic.

The slow pace to this book made it feel like you are truly living alongside Demon. I love long and intricate reads, and this was a masterclass in it. Kingsolver is an amazing writer who uses natural and emotional imagery that paints a painful and realistic story. I’m so grateful this was my first read this year!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent

Moderate: Cursing, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

hannahsheil's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

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Devastatingly heartbreaking, painful, and raw, but so important and real. Demon can be frustrating because you want to root for him to make the right decisions, but you’re also able to understand why he consistently runs away; when your whole life has been continuous disappointments and people leaving, no where feels safe. The opioid epidemic — and all the drug use in general — is also weaved in so naturally, and it’s eye-opening to see how when something is a fact-of-life, it becomes natural to just do it. 

Altogether Barbara Kingsolver does an amazing job at giving voice to a population of young people who have been forgotten or mocked by larger culture & society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Abortion

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence

plusverb's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

kniterature's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 9%

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This book is clearly very well written but also very dark. At this point in my life as a new mother I was unable to handle the content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

gh2mi's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

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If it gives any indication of this book's quality, I read almost exactly half of this book in one day, a feat I haven't accomplished for any book this size in years. The second half took me a lot longer to get through because it's a lot heavier, but it's just as good. I can't even begin to describe how many iconic quotes are in this book. I couldn't recommend this enough to anyone who loves literary fiction, smalltown America, and a witty as hell protagonist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism

cloverandmoss's review against another edition

2.25

slow-paced

Loveable characters: No

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This book dragged on and on endlessly. Lot of filler that doesn’t add to the storyline .  The POV when main char was 8 yrs was not believable. Felt like homework to finish this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol

beklovesbooks's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional informative sad

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I can see why it won a Pulitzer. Remarkable imagery, authentic voice, themes mostly came around to neat closure. 
Unfortunately, there were excessive graphic descriptions of drug use and sex. Every imaginable locker room crude sexual innuendo. It’s too bad the very good descriptive capabilities of the author was applied to trash you don’t want in your mind as well as nature and life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion

megan_harper's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Confinement, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Grief

ash_bees's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Trigger warnings: all of them.

Well written.  Reminded me a lot of a modern Huckleberry Finn, but with the rough times didn't end when Huck's father dies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail