Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

54 reviews

sandakie's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Abortion

aniquegrace's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative sad tense fast-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

My best read of 2024, thought I might be let down after all the hype but it was genuinely incredible. Made me nostaglic for my small town and heartbroken for the kids that fall through the cracks, truly a masterpiece

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Suicide

sandpiper22's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism and Animal death

gossamer_lens's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Just so very good. There was strong David Copperfield vibes and influences and the overall plot, characters, and narrative style were compelling and interesting. I honestly only picked this book up to compare to David Copperfield and then ended up falling for the story in so many ways. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

juanat77's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is book is big and messy. About 560 pages. There’s times it’s funny then tense then depressing. Kingsolver writes all those feelings exceptionally well. It reads like a classic. I thought about Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye) at times. I was rooting for the MC despite his poor decisions and at times selfishness—-however that is real life. This story touches on so many serious topics including the opioid crisis, domestic abuse, child labor, poverty and the foster care system. And while there are sad and serious issues; there are also many funny moments. Demon the MC starts as a young child and ends when he is an adult so we get to see how his character develops through the years. It’s said to be a retelling of David Copperfield—never read it but adding it to my TBR!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lisajha's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

hossinthemoss's review

challenging inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Incredible book, so many profound moments. Cannot recommend highly enough.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Death of parent

fpcat99's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

angorarabbit's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

Context: I have tried but never finished Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. I have no intention in trying again. I did have to skim two chapters of Demon Copperhead (the one with the truck stop and one with U-Haul). 

 

TLDR: The fact that I could read this is a testament to the writing skill of Ms Kingsolver, I am in awe. 

 

I want to spend a little time on the foster care system as described in the novel. DSS is in about half of Demon’s life officially and spreads into the rest of his life. All of it is true to reality. Older children (especially boys) do have a harder time finding placement in foster homes. According to the Children’s Bureau at the Administration for Children and Families (a division of the USDHHS), there were 407,000 children in foster care in the US in 2020. By the age of 17 over 50% of those children will have encounters with law enforcement. The foster care to juevie pipeline is a real phenomenon. The novel also delves into the emotional toll the death of parents and foster care takes on a child through out their lives in the narrative of the main character that I relate to. 

 

That said, Demon was incredibly lucky. He actually has better foster homes than many kids in his first two foster homes and his third is hitting the jackpot. He also is told he gets his survivor benefits  when he turns 18. My experience is that any SS money goes to the agency handling the foster care which uses it to pay the foster parents and administrative costs. The child times out with a few clothes and perhaps a half-way house to move into an adult life they are usually ill prepared for. 

 

I also vibed with how much the characters loved their home. Not the house but everything, the creek, the mountains, the wildlife, the friends, the family. And how hard it is to leave that behind to find work or escape addictions. Hiraeth is not just for Wales. 

 

My only criticism; lack of depth in the slime ball characters U-Haul, Fast Forward, Stoner and truck stop woman. In particular U-Haul is given no backstory even though he is a major plot point in the second half. Why does he stay as the coach’s lackey hauling his kids around? I get that he has the hots for Angus but he waits almost 20 years to act. He’s just slimy because some one has to be Uriah Heep I guess. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Car accident

child neglect, child labor, the foster care system, snakes, sex work, rats, unsanitary conditions

carrigoitia's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense slow-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

Truly one of the most incredible books I’ve ever read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Cancer, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Colonisation