Review by geeky_mcgee - Demon Copperhead

geeky_mcgee 's review for:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

5.0

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense slow-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

This book captivated me beginning to end. The story of a boy who is given the short end of the stick time and time again, gaining hope and then losing it, and tumbling through cycles of personal and systemic trauma. Demon is a brilliant main character. He’s filled with the sins of his past and the mistakes of his future, forced into boxes of who others think he is. His friends and loved ones are equally as complicated and damaged, all of them dancing around each other and never quite addressing their issues.

This book is very emotional to get through. As someone who also lives in a rural place, many elements hit close to the heart and made me view my community in a more compassionate way. The struggles Demon faces are true to many people I’ve met, and getting to see how each situation he was in shaped him was horrifically sad and tragically poetic.

The slow pace to this book made it feel like you are truly living alongside Demon. I love long and intricate reads, and this was a masterclass in it. Kingsolver is an amazing writer who uses natural and emotional imagery that paints a painful and realistic story. I’m so grateful this was my first read this year!

Content Warnings