Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

31 reviews

kola10981928's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Blood, Car accident, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Suicide and War

peam's review against another edition

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, and Violence

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

jjrivera's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

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

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.

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Content Warnings

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

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

carriepond's review against another edition

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." 

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Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: 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.

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Content Warnings

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