Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - Demon Copperhead

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

21 reviews

bigolscrewup's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

You lie down with snakes, you get up with the urge to bite back. All I’m saying

Good people don’t give up on the ones they love

4/5 ⭐

I've always wanted to read Barbara Kingsolver's works before and there were times where I've tried to get "The Poisonwood Bible", only for it to be sold out in almost every place I could get it in my place. So when I got my hands on this book, I thought "Finally!!".

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book, which was heartbreaking at times, exploring Demon's life from the beginning, which was one hardship after another. I loved the way Peggots took care of him and his mother, the trips to cities, trying to teach him things he wasn't willing to listen, living with Angus. It was fascinating to learn about the lives of people living in the mountains of southern Appalachia region. Reading about the struggles of addiction and the long torturous road to sobriety depicted in the story was a deeply moving experience, it offers a poignant reflection on the struggles faced by people grappling with substance abuse, as well as the importance of support and compassion in the journey towards recovery. It sickens me that various pharma companies used the ignorance of people in those times to exploit and profit off of their pain. It makes me wonder this could be happening still in small communities.

I found myself losing interest in the middle, especially his teenage years, which were filled with lots of people and lots of problems and lots of stupid decisions. There were times I wondered where the story is going. Also, there were times, I couldn't understand why different people in the story were making these ridiculous decisions at various points in the story, but maybe that's the difference between people who are addicted to something and people who aren't, that they are not aware that there's another way. Thankfully the story picked up momentum at the end, which honestly redeemed my opinion of this book.

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lizmarasse's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

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nikshelby's review

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DNF at 9%.

Abuse of children and women. Alcoholism. Drug use (and overdose). Poverty and despair.

I should’ve realized when it won the Pulitzer that it would be rife with a bleak outlook, despondent characters, and heartbreaking situations.

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nicoleinthelab's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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sjanke2's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a challenging book, both in the sense of Demon's stream-of-consciousness voice and the trials he endures. But after 50 pages, one's brain adapts to Kingsolver's writing style. The audiobook narrator helped in developing a stride. Demon goes through so much, and there's a balance of both good and bad influences in the side characters. I also appreciated Kingsolver's strong stance on the war wreaked upon Appalachians by land grabbers, mining companies, and Big Pharma.

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