A review by wyabook234
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing 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

4.75

When you read Demon Copperhead without knowing what classic Dicken's tale Kingsolver's own story was initially based on, it wouldn't make a difference in how you interpret Demon's journey as he goes through a series of broken and not-as-broken homes. In other words, it can be easy to separate the past and the present renditions based on well-written characters that you overlook, that they are just modern adaptations. So Kingsolver can be praised for further differentiating her characters as individual victims of their vices and the background of the opioid epidemic, even if the story beats of David Copperfield can be disseminated within the text. Kingsolver can be appreciated for how she places further emphasis on the subject of wayward children and the effects of drug addiction through the struggles of Demon in how he becomes a mature young man and realizes his future in life.
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