Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

11 reviews

kelsimarirobb's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Classism, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Mental illness, Death, Child abuse, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Excrement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Suicide and War

peam's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This is the kind of novel that dives into a world I would never have thought I would be into but once there didn’t want to let it go. It gave me a new perspective and a deeper understanding of the USA that I never gave a thought. I’m deeply grateful for that. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Addiction, Child abuse, Vomit, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Death

Minor: Abandonment

shelfofunread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Death

Moderate: Classism, Violence, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Self harm, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Alcohol

jjrivera's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Addiction, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

It's pretty much what you would expect for a Appalachian version of David Copperfield.  The characters were big and believable. I'm not a fan of coming of age stories.  I especially find it difficult to watch characters make bad decisions.  There was too much of the darkness in the real world in this novel and I found it difficult to stay in it.  Everything in me told me to abandon this book. I did not.  It's well written and a story that should be told.  It's just not my thing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

kyrstin_p1989's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

The type of soul-aching sad that prohibits you from even crying, this novel pushes the boundaries of what we know and understand about the ravages that drugs, particularly opiates, have doled out to the people of Appalachia. Even though you can see the cycle happening before it ever does, you can’t help but love and root for Demon as an unlikely hero. The characters are beautifully and painstakingly crafted to reflect the complexities found in mountain folks. For some reason, it took me a long time to finish the book — but I’m so glad I did. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Vomit, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Violence

carriepond's review

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

In Demon Copperhead, an epic reimagining of Charles Dickens's David Copperfield, Barbara Kingsolver creates an endearing and loveable hero, the kind you can't stop rooting for, even in the face of impossible odds (often self-imposed). The novel opens with Demon, nee Damon Fields, looking back on his childhood, from the very beginning: "First, I got myself born." Demon's mom is a "foster-care orphan dropout" who's been in and out of rehab since having him when she was eighteen and his dad died before he was born after drowning at the local swimming hole, "The Devil's Bathtub." Demon, so nicknamed because of his "copper-wire hair and some version of attitude," seems destined to follow in his mom's footsteps when she dies of an overdose on Demon's eleventh birthday. From there, Demon is passed around by an indifferent and inept foster care system, reconnects with distant family, becomes a popular member of his high school's football team, and struggles with addiction after a knee injury leaves him dependent on the pills prescribed to help him. Throughout the novel, we meet a wide cast of characters who love or hurt (and sometimes, both) our plucky hero, who is reflective and emotional but rarely self-pitying, despite the many reasons he'd have to be.

Don't let the "Dickens retelling" scare you off if you haven't read David Copperfield or worry the book will be highfalutin-- I enjoyed the book immensely despite not reading its inspiration, and although brilliantly written, the novel is relatable and readable. This is in no small part to the truly compelling main character Kingsolver creates in Demon. Kingsolver's fierce love of Appalachia and its people shines throughout the novel, and she pours that love into her main character. Because we watch Demon from the moment he "got born," we grow to love him and understand him even when he makes awful, self-destroying choices. The love that Kingsolver makes us feel for Demon also serves as the perfect foil to the novel's angry and visceral critique of the myriad ways capitalism exploits and throws away rural people and how the systems that should offer them support and help fail time and again. Demon reels us back in with his charm and keen observations any time the social commentary starts to feel heavy-handed,  which gives the novel's larger themes the room they need to root themselves into the reader's heart.

However, the parts of the book that really resonated with me were those that explore Demon's relationships-- with his fellow foster boy turned dear friend and co-creator, with his stand-in family the Peggots (especially Mrs. Peggot and June), his "sister" turned confidante Angus, and ultimately, with his home: "It's hard to explain how you can miss a place and want it with all your heart, and be utterly sure it will obliterate you the instant you touch down." 

I loved this novel, and I loved Demon. Highly recommend this heart-wrenching but beautiful and nuanced portrait of rural America, the opioid epidemic, and "the kids who wake up hungry and in those dark places every day." 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Death, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Racism, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Homophobia

Minor: Abortion

fn2902's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Racism, Violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Colonisation

Minor: Gun violence, Ableism, Vomit, and Abortion

happyknitter2020's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

Initially DNF'd at page 53, but as was on Women's prize longlist, i picked it up again & devoured it over a few days. Loved Demon's voice & resilience.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Excrement, Grief, Alcohol, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Vomit, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse