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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Genre: Classic Retelling
Where: Lee County, Virginia
When: 1990s
Thoughts/Reflections: Another absolute wow for me. A bit of Holden Caulfield. A touch of Huck Finn. With a nod to Scout Finch. And as gripping a story in its own way as its inspiration, Dickens’ David Copperfield. Demon’s story made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry and it brought me hope. The final sentence of the blurb on Goodreads provides a great synopsis: “Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.”
My favorite words:
“People love to believe in danger, as long as it's you in harm's way, and them saying bless your heart.”
“It hit me pretty hard, how there's no kind of sad in this world that will stop it turning. People will keep on wanting what they want, and you're on your own.”
“What a waste, a dead body, with most of its parts still ready and eager to work. The final humiliation of a man, that last layoff.”
“What matters in a story is the heart of its hero.”
“Getting clean is like taking care of a sick person, versus being the sick person. They get all the points for bravery, but they’re locked in. You have to get up every morning and decide again, in the cold lonely light of day, am I brave enough to stick this out?”
“One thing I learned from Mr. Armstrong while striving heartily to remain uneducated: a good story doesn’t just copy life, it pushes back on it.”
“The trip itself, just the getting there, possibly the best part of my life so far.”
Seems really depressing and shocking and endlessly grim- not that the book is bad but I think I’ll come back to it in the future if I’m ever in the mood for something like this.
3.9 to 4.2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve struggled when thinking of how to review this book. The author does a phenomenal job of portraying the perspective of a child/adult who has gone through excessive trauma in the setting of substance use, abuse, and homelessness. The perspective was accurate in terms of someone with limited processing of their trauma, but the pacing of the book was very difficult to follow and was inconsistent. The emotional immaturity of the main character was also accurate, but frustrating as a reader at times. Overall, I think if somebody wanted to read a modern version of an American classic and was interested in addiction as well as childhood trauma, I think this is the perfect book. Personally, I don’t think it was my cup of tea, but I am very glad to have experienced it!
An all-too-common tale of the unfortunate, slippery slope of addiction in America… specifically Appalachian America. Wonderfully written, and a beautiful portrayal of fighting to reclaim one’s life.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
This book destroyed me. It was a very long read, but moved fast and was so beautifully written and tragic. It really stuck with me, especially the parts surrounding opioid addiction.
Demon is a great narrator, he’s almost a reliable one because he has such a low perception of himself, he never is biased. But it becomes clear throughout the book that his negative view isn’t how those he meets view him, and it was a really great read to see that conflict throughout. A great moral that the people who show up for you in your life can be the difference between success and failure.
Demon is a great narrator, he’s almost a reliable one because he has such a low perception of himself, he never is biased. But it becomes clear throughout the book that his negative view isn’t how those he meets view him, and it was a really great read to see that conflict throughout. A great moral that the people who show up for you in your life can be the difference between success and failure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated