tctimlin 's review for:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative 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: Yes

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On a scale of 1-5 this was a 6 for me.  Kingsolver is an incredible writer and she got the voice of our narrator perfectly.   She also gets the beauty and the ugliness of Appalachia perfectly (I have spent a fair amount of time working in that part of the world).  I loved the way she paralleled Dickens’ “David Copperfield” and uses it to write about contemporary issues like the opioid crisis in 21st century America.  Next time I read it (for there will definitely be a next time), I’d like to parallel read it with David Copperfield because in my memory, it lines up almost perfectly in character and plot.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Classism