A review by kayleajayne
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a crap sandwich to read. There’s like a sliver of a pickle of hope at the end, but I have to say, I had to push myself and drudge through to read it. I am not anti-trauma in books. And Kingsolver’s writing is so beautiful and poetic, even when talking about poverty in Appalachia. It is like a punch to my gut memories my from small rural town America that is eaten up by drugs. I knew this story before she wrote it. It’s the story of my best friend who drowned the night she was married because of substances. The story of her mother who turned tricks for speed, and ended up murdered. The story of too many people dying young because the one job in town is the only thing that pays, and they would rather you be uneducated so they can take advantage of you. To deal with the horrible life of poverty, these young people self -medicated. I wanted to escape from this story, but I couldn’t. For all its pain, it needs to be said. It was the story of my generation and how so many things wrecked us, and only a few of us are left with the pieces while big pharma finds a new way to hook and screw people on the daily. If you don’t want truth, don’t read this. If you want to escape, it’s not here. That being said, Kingsolver fully earned her award for this. 
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