Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

40 reviews

douglasgraves's review against another edition

4.5

dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I've not read David Copperfield, but was familiar enough to know how this would go. 

Nevertheless, Kingsolver's Appalachian adaptation is nothing short of brilliant. She takes an ageless story and puts it smack in the middle of one of America's most often dismissed and forgotten regions. Without further disparaging Appalachia, she depicts the abuses of the system while capturing the hope in community that many are fortunate to have; reminding readers everywhere to recognize and be grateful for the support and encouragement that comes with strong communities, that we'd be nowhere without it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Sexual content

Minor: Vomit, Trafficking, Toxic friendship

stellahadz's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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: Complicated

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The Pulitzer prize for this book was well-deserved. The writing is immersive and descriptive, plunging the reader into a world that may not be familiar to them (it certainly wasn't for me). I loved the descriptions of family life and Demon's desire to have somewhere to fit in. I was captivated by his journey and constantly rooting for him to find his home. The other characters were great, too - my personal favorite was Mr. Armstrong. The story is equal parts funny and heartbreaking, and it's definitely long, but absolutely worth it. The scene where

Demon drives away from Lee County and hikes into the mountains

made me tear up. It's the kind of book that I feel almost sad to have finished.

Spoilers ahead:

I know some people aren't fans of the "everything gets tied up neatly" type of ending, but I personally love it, and if anyone deserves it, it's Demon. Also, if I HAD to choose a complaint about this book, it would be that he may or may not end up dating his foster sister...

but the rest of the book is so incredible that I stand by the 5-star rating. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Confinement, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Medical content, Abortion

mdwsn27's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 45%

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Janet Fitch's White Oleander manages to resonate like- and accomplish what- Demon Copperhead doesn't.

Maybe because this story is too familiar after working day-to-day with kids in DCFS custody, or since I haven't read David Copperfield (and no longer plan to), I didn't finish--having stopped at page 246. A shame considering how long I had this on my to-read list/waited for it to become available.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism

zlinkous's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 7%

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I'll come back, but having a newborn at the time, one scene was too devastating for me to keep reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

I just don't see a tag for "torturously separating a parent from their suffering child and making them watch that suffering". So it's that.

jennaviolet's review against another edition

4.0

dark funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

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

erinsca's review against another edition

3.75

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use

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

jewels_pg's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was a hard book to put down. Heartbreaking and thought-provoking in turn. The ending is hopeful, but it's a wild ride to get there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical trauma

Minor: Confinement, Suicide

nikshelby's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 9%

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DNF at 9%.

Abuse of children and women. Alcoholism. Drug use (and overdose). Poverty and despair. 

I should’ve realized when it won the Pulitzer that it would be rife with a bleak outlook, despondent characters, and heartbreaking situations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Abandonment

winglesswarrior's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Classism

chantaal's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abortion