Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

46 reviews

tctimlin's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative sad 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

5.0

On a scale of 1-5 this was a 6 for me.  Kingsolver is an incredible writer and she got the voice of our narrator perfectly.   She also gets the beauty and the ugliness of Appalachia perfectly (I have spent a fair amount of time working in that part of the world).  I loved the way she paralleled Dickens’ “David Copperfield” and uses it to write about contemporary issues like the opioid crisis in 21st century America.  Next time I read it (for there will definitely be a next time), I’d like to parallel read it with David Copperfield because in my memory, it lines up almost perfectly in character and plot.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Drug use, Trafficking, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Medical trauma

slow_slow's review

challenging inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I grew up reading Christy, and I feel like this is a much less romanticized view of this portion of Appalachia. Extremely well written, it leaves the reader satisfied and wanting more at the same time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Violence, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Suicide

abbeyjreads's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

4.75 rounded up

this was an absolutely beautiful read and i thoroughly enjoyed it, so i have very little criticism, but i have found that the criticism i do have all stem from having read this through the lens of adaptation. david copperfield is one of my favorite novels, it’s a story i have loved for as long as i can remember, so i am very familiar with its characters, its tone, its story beats. and this hit a lot of those notes! but there were a few missteps that ultimately resulted in .25 deduction on the rating. 

this is not “inspired by” in the sense that it has the zest and spirit of the original content, this is a tried and true retelling. every major story beat is reworked and seamlessly woven into its new setting. nothing lost its power here, the highs felt high and lows were as low as you were framed to expect from the original. my two biggest qualms were the characterization and utilization of Mr. McCobb (Mr. Micawber) and Miss Betsy (Betsy Trotwood), and some of Demon’s character development.  

Mr. Micawber and Betsy Trotwood are two of the BEST CHARACTERS in the original work and have such an astounding impact on david and his character; he becomes more hopeful and resilient because of them and their influence and they are both deeply impactful to him. these two entirely lost their footing here. Miss Betsy is really only seen in two chapters - and while she maintains a lot of her personality - she is really more of a distant force in demon’s life who places him where it is necessary for other characters to cater to him in the ways she did in the original. Mr. Micawber is a dubiously delightful character who you don’t respect as much as you admire - he can’t hold anything around him together but he can hold himself and that’s what matters. he is a beacon of positivity and - while an ultimately naive and deluded example - to david’s young and impressionable mind he is a bright spot in what has always been a sorry life. the mccobb family leaves no lasting impression upon demon here and if they left anything on the page its a sorry taste in your mouth. it just felt like two deeply impactful and memorable characters were squandered. 

this directly results in demon’s character and development evolving in an entirely different way. in the original, david is an ultimately cheerful and - sometimes naively - optimistic young man who persists in being a gentleman and a dreamer and an all around good human. obviously, demon’s story unravels with different elements that result in him exploring some much more personally dark places. instead of being subjected to squalid environments and lurid company, demon’s surroundings are a direct result of his own choices and vices. i did find demon’s narration to be charming and he does in time come full circle towards his expectations, but david’s original character is something that sticks with a reader. he is so resolute. so immovably good. i thought about david for months after finishing it, and demon will occupy a very different headspace for me. 

regardless, this was effortlessly beautiful and harrowing. it may have felt off kilter to me in very slight moments, but this drew me in so deep. i was so invested. and even though i knew what was coming - waiting for each beat to hit, each iconic moment to be reimagined - i was always surprised by how fresh it felt. 

if this did anything well - and it did, it did almost everything well - it found the hope, and it maintained it. dickens work has stood the test of time for a reason, and this knew exactly why. it held on to its spark of originality among a landscape that has been tirelessly traversed for almost 200 years. it was new eyes on an old soul. the world has not stopped turning, but the heart of this story will stay the same in every new century it sees. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Violence, Grief, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Demon Copperhead (Damon), son of a drug addicted young mother, takes us through his life as he fights to survive all that life throws at him. 

Demon is the voice of the impoverished, opiod addicted, abandoned people of Appalachia. His voice is incredibly unique and his story tell one of resilencey, loyalty, and pride. This book never stops as he ensures foster care, child labour, the broken education system, addiction, and crushing losses. This book is messy, emotional, and intense. This story could have been very bleak, yet within the pages is a tale of hope with a touch of humor. 

The book is so beautifully written and the setting plays almost like a secondary character in how intertwined and vivid it is. 

Demon is an immensely flawed, but likable character. We're rooting for him to succeed. He ensures abandonment, abuse, homelessness, addiction, and so much loss. His life forces him to grow up so fast, otherwise he literally would not survive. Yet, through all he endured, he does just that, he survives and perseveres. 

We are introduced to so many other interesting and captivating characters along the way. They all played such an important role in his life. Maggot, the lost soul just trying to survive while being so different. Tommy, the soft hearted man who pulls himself up against insurmountable odds.  The Peggots, the kind hearted neighbours who help as much as they can. Dorie, the lost girl who could never be saved. Angus, the girl who supported him no matter what. His teachers, who encouraged and supported him to follow his dream of drawing. This is such a memorable cast of characters. 

Unfortunately, the author does lean very heavily on the stereotypes of the Appalachia region. Every stereotype you can think of about that region happens Demon in this book. I wish that there would have been a little more breaking stereotypes rather than amplifying them. That said, I did think that Demon was a very interesting and captivating character.

With so many heavy topics addressed in this book, it does veer towards feeling preechy or like a lecture at times. 

I really liked the ending.

Demon has fought his battles and won, what comes next is left to the imagination, but it ends in a note of hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

lolo_lew's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-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

3.75

Incredibly well-written, tackles tough and complex topics in an approachable and meaningful way. Highly recommend but contains content that might be sensitive to some.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Classism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Vomit, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Abortion, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

dua_liepard's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Classism, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Physical abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Racism, Pregnancy, Medical content, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

katrinarose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

I struggle to rate this book, because I loved the writing style and the voice of Demon was so incredibly strong and authentic and believable, but I also wasn’t that excited to pick this book up, and it took me a while to finish. I thought the theme of the overlooked rural parts of the U.S. was interesting and thought-provoking, but at times almost turned into more of a history/sociopolitical lesson that felt out of context and forced. I wish the author had explained these concepts a little less and given the reader some more credit for being able to read in between the lines/use the story as a jumping off point for more of their own research. Overall it was a really good book just not one that sucked me in and made me love it. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Cursing and Misogyny

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Racism, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts

lyndle's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

Long list of content warnings but GOD it’s so good. You won’t believe a happy ending is possible but you’ll get there. The way Kingsolver writes through the mouth of Demon is masterful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, and Addiction

Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Racism, and Classism

Minor: Violence, Car accident, and Toxic friendship

jewels_pg's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense 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

4.0

This was a hard book to put down. Heartbreaking and thought-provoking in turn. The ending is hopeful, but it's a wild ride to get there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Cursing, Drug abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Racism

Minor: Suicide and Confinement

kmaffett's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual harassment

Minor: Homophobia