A review by pandoraschaos
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Okay. I enjoyed this book all the way until the end. One of the reasons I love Barbara Kingsolver so much is because she’s really great at painting the perspectives of people in tough places. 
As some who grew up in rural Appalachia, this story hit home from the very beginning. The rundown homes. The MLM’s. The cat piss smell when there aren’t any cats present. The othering experience of growing up poor. It’s HARD. Then it lead into the broken football star to opioid addict pipeline and boy howdy…
As someone who was one of the “jackpots of hopeless futures” convinced by the recruiters in shiny buttons to join the military to escape my small town. I always felt like my life could have ended up exactly like Demon’s. 

But the fucking ending?!? Are you serious Barbara. You had to go with THAT love interest?!?! 😒😒

Spoilers below:
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Definitely glosses over the racism that I KNOW is rampant in rural Appalachia. It’s hinted at, in things like “only 10 “people like him” living in Lee county” when talking about the Black teacher. Or how there must be something wrong with the pretty white teacher that he’s married to… 😒😒

Are you fucking serious. Angus?!?! If you have to write it “is she my sister or something more” it’s an automatic noooooooooooooo!!!!!!! They grew up being raised as siblings, even if they aren’t blood siblings. They should not have ended up as the love interest….. ewwwwww. This is one fucking rural stereotype that I wish would go the way of the dodo


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