Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

44 reviews

biojesspj's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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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Charlie Thurston, the audiobook reader, was amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment

Overdose, pregnancy loss, runaway child, orphans, foster care system

hayreading's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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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Such an amazing book. The characters are all so complex and real. The author has so many things to say, and it's done in such a brutal way. No criticisms. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

annakh16's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

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A note first: I haven’t read any Dickens, so I‘m unfortunately unable to judge the cross-referencing (much to the dismay of my book club - sorry…). 

This is a dark but important book, written with genuine empathy. Demon as a main character roots the story very well, which to me is largely due to the strong sense of voice the author manages to create effectively. The writing took a bit of getting used to, not because it’s bad though. In fact, I think the (not quite?) stream of consciousness style worked well to bring the message across in a genuine way. I was often pleasantly caught off-guard by how Kingsolver would just hit you with really sharp analysis or profound commentary “out of left field”. This is also how she avoids “poverty porn” or sensationalism, if you ask me - by bringing it back to the systemic. 

I do think that some “episodes” were more interesting or well done than others, but this is a light point of critique. And: the

”my adopted sister may actually be in love with me” ending

was weird. Sorry not sorry. 

Overall, this is a well-executed account and something I “looked forward” to reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm, Abortion

katebitters's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

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This was a tough book to get through, and I'm not sure it added anything new or profound to the conversation about drug abuse, poverty, and rural America. I almost quit reading at several points because the story was so damn depressing and seemed to be spinning in circles instead of moving forward along some kind of story arc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexism, Death of parent, Classism

ksbrooks98's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional 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

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I saw someone else say that this is now the basis for a great book, and I agree. 
We follow Demon for a significant portion of his childhood. As he grows and matures, the tone shifts, the writing changes. We can see his world as clearly as our own. We see the people we are there for him, and we see the people, the systems that fail him. Barbara Kingsolver puts so many failed and abused systems under the microscope all investigated by a boy who, by the end, I felt like I knew personally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexism, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

Minor: Bullying, Car accident, Abortion

spitewankreads's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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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incredible first read of the year. really setting the bar high

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexism, Abortion, Pregnancy

an incredible book but not one for the faint of heart regarding drug use/abuse, and the american fostercare system

amellia12's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Gaslighting

espurrr's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative 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: Yes

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This book has given me a lot to think on. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

lizreads10's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

infinitezest's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This is a really heartbreaking and evocative coming-of-age story that sets the reader squarely in the center of the opioid epidemic, rural poverty, and a broken child welfare system. I felt a LOT of emotions following along with Damon's story. I would rate the first half or so of the book 5 million stars, but the second half was so depressing and I felt it difficult, emotionally, to keep going at times. The ending felt like too quick of a wrap-up, like it was trying to meet a deadline for the book and spent too much time on the early years. I would still recommend it but with all the trigger warnings, and it's NOT a vacation book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, Classism

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail