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Demon Copperhead

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Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is a poignant novel set in Lee County, Virginia, during the height of the oxycodone crisis. The story follows the life of Demon Copperhead, from his birth to a single mother, through abuse, foster homes, teenage years as a football player, drug addiction, recovery, and new beginnings. Kingsolver expertly portrays the struggles of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness in Appalachia, weaving a narrative that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

Characters:

Characters are richly developed, showcasing a range of emotions and complexities that mirror the struggles of their environment.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is both lyrical and gritty, employing rich descriptions that evoke strong emotions while maintaining an engaging narrative flow.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around a boy's harrowing journey through addiction, poverty, and the foster care system, capturing the bleak reality of life in Appalachia while echoing Dickens' classic themes.

Setting:

The setting plays a crucial role, with the Appalachian landscape and its socio-economic conditions significantly influencing the story.

Pacing:

The pacing effectively balances moments of intensity with engaging narrative progression, resulting in a compelling reading experience.
On any other day they’d have seen her outside on the deck of her trailer home, good neighbors taking notice, pestering the tit of trouble as they will. All through the dog-breath air of late summer an...

Notes:

Demon Copperhead is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.
The novel is set in Appalachia during the opioid crisis.
It explores themes of poverty, addiction, and the foster care system.
The protagonist, known as Demon, narrates his own story from childhood through young adulthood.
Many readers find the book's portrayal of human suffering both powerful and heart-wrenching.
The book has received critical acclaim and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Barbara Kingsolver is noted for her masterful storytelling and vivid character development.
Some readers compare its narrative style to that of renowned works like Huckleberry Finn.
The book has been described as bleak but also contains moments of humor and resilience.
Kingsolver's writing has been praised for its authenticity and emotional depth.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of drug addiction, overdose, domestic abuse, childhood trauma, and poverty, making it a book that may not be suitable for all readers.

Has Romance?

There is a medium level of romance in the story, intertwining personal relationships with the protagonist's journey.

From The Publisher:

A NEW YORK TIMES "TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2022"

An Oprah's Book Club Selection

An Instant New York Times Bestseller

An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A #1 Washington Post Bestseller

"Demon is a voice for the ages-akin to Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield-only even more resilient." -Beth Macy, author of Dopesick

"May be the best novel of 2022. . . . Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of an irrepressible boy nobody wants, but readers will love." (Ron Charles, Washington Post)

From the acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees, a brilliant novel that enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero's unforgettable journey to maturity

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.

Ratings (183)

Incredible (67)
Loved It (79)
Liked It (20)
It Was OK (7)
Did Not Like (8)
Hated It (2)

Reader Stats (310):

Read It (185)
Currently Reading (5)
Want To Read (97)
Did Not Finish (7)
Not Interested (16)

11 comment(s)

It Was OK
4 days

I've seen almost only raving reviews on this one but unfortunately I just not one of those who loved the book. It's good writing and all that but just did nothing ro draw me in and evoke strong emotions. At the same time I can see why so many others likes it

 
Loved It
5 days

I grew up in the region the book took place and while I never experienced Oxy or other things like that the characters were real and very familiar

 
Incredible
3 weeks

This is one of the surprises of the year for me! I really enjoyed it. I'd highly recommend the audio as well.

 
It Was OK
3 months

3.5 stars

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2023

RTC

Happy Reading!

 
Hated It
3 months

SYNOPSIS:

Damon Fields, aka Demon Copperhead, is born in Southern Virginia in the late 1980s to a teen mom with substance issues. Demon’s mom is in and out of rehab, and he is partly raised by the Peggots.

Demon’s mom ends up marrying an abusive man.

Demon is shuffled off to a foster home run by Mr. Creakle & then a few more. He finally ends up with football coach, and the book weaves his story with opiod addiction.

MY THOUGHTS

Prior to reading this one, I saw some articles online about it that said it is a retelling of Dicken’s novel entitled David Copperfield.

After seeing rave reviews & that the author won the Pulitzer Prize for this book, I waited on library wait list for quite a while. I am in the minority here, but this book & writing style was not for me.

Although the opiod crisis is a serious topic, I can’t recommend this book. This book DRAGS. It is so unnecessarily slow. It took me 7 days to finish. I typically finish any book, even books I don’t like, in max 4 days. It was getting to feel like homework getting through it. There’s a ton of parts that didn’t need to be included.

The writing style was nauseating to me. I hated it. It is Demon describing & relaying things, and his voice wasn’t strong enough for that job. It’s like a child relaying things to you for 500+ pages. I also didn’t buy Kingsolver’s ability to write in the shoes of this character. It didn’t sound realistic at all.

The characters are all flat & many are stereotypical cliches. To name a few, think: single drug addicted mom living in trailer, abusive stepdad, Appalachians are all white people, Appalachians are hillbillies.

I also found Demon’s trajectory unbelievable in terms of his path to drugs. It doesn’t line up with everything he has witnessed & experienced. The author comes across as an outsider to the subject.

I did like the Peggots, Aunt June, Mrs. Annie, and Tommy.

I enjoy complex characters that make sense, but the characters in this book don’t make sense.

TL;DR: ⭐️unreal to me that this won a Pulitzer Prize.

 
Incredible
4 months

On my list of all time greatest reads

 
Liked It
5 months

I can see why people like this book. It’s well written and has excellent character development. I am chalking my lower rating to not being in the mood for this 21 hour audiobook (the narrator was good though!)

 
Loved It
7 months

The storyline felt nostalgic and very engaging. Author did an amazing job at depicting many themes of growing up as a young boy in rural America

 
Incredible
7 months

Amazing writing style. Perfectly paced

 
Incredible
8 months

Everything from the themes to the plot to the writing. This book can do no wrong in my eyes.

 
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