By Barbara Kingsolver
SPOILER-FREE
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.
REVIEW
THEMES: EMOTIONAL, HISTORICAL, DARK, DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY, MEDIUM-PACED.
My emotions were being played with the entire duration of this book. The anger you feel for Demon and the way the foster system is set up is overwhelming, especially because it is based on a real plight that plagues this world.
The writing is exceptional. The way Kingsolver describes the volatile environment, the character’s unique mannerisms and the ongoing emphasis on social issues made it feel biographical.
I do not normally read books like this, mainly because it centres around emotionally provoking subjects – but I added it to my to-be-read due to the overwhelming praise.
I have rated it a four, because it is bleak, depressing and full-on. I am not someone who gravitates towards books like this, so I could not enjoy it the way someone who seeks it out would. So, part of my rating reflects personal taste rather than book quality.
I would recommend this to someone who is into grittier books, that focus on realistic problems. Although I think it is important that everyone read it, to remind us of the world we live in.
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