Will I love Demon Copperhead?

Demon feels real to me because his voice never slips into simple victimhood. He is funny, defensive, complicated, flawed, and resilient in the way actual people are.

What struck me about the book is that it doesn’t romanticize resilience. Demon persists, but the systems surrounding him repeatedly fail him, often not through some dramatic act of cruelty but through something almost worse: indifference. That stayed with me.

We often celebrate people for overcoming difficult circumstances without asking why they were required to overcome so much in the first place. Demon Copperhead made me think differently about resilience, responsibility, and what… show more.

It’s a fantastic re-imagining of David Copperfield, which I enjoyed much more than the original. It taught me a lot about a side of the USA which, as a Brit, I had never given much thought to. The characters were fresh and engaging - even when they were unlikeable - and I became really invested in them.
I know this is a book I’ll re-read and it might even tempt me to have another try at the Dickens,

What I most appreciated about this book was the humanity and insight that the author brought to portraying people and communities that have been devastated by opioid addiction. Beyond that it was a gripping story, compelling told.

Kingsolver dusted off an old classic (David Copperfield) and made it into an important and compelling story of life right now. Demon grows up poor and orphaned in drug-ravaged Appalachia, a far cry from Dickens' London, and it's a marvel to witness how she takes David's story and makes it over into something fresh and exciting in Demon's story. It's a sad tale, but Demon's spirit shines through, and the novel leaves us with real hope for him at the end.

It's about the forgotten tribe of rural Americans who get screwed over by big pharma (pushing opiates), bad government, and the condescending elite. It's a deeply humane modern take on Dickens. Deserves all the awards.

Set mainly in rural Virginia, this is an ingenious updating and retelling of David Copperfield. Kingsolver follows the fortunes of a bright boy born into poverty and the wrong side of luck; like Dickens’ David he’s passed from one home to another, via a range of guardians and employers. Throughout his varied experiences of harshness and kindness, Demon forms lasting friendships and discovers his talents, though this compelling depiction of rural poverty and the opioid crisis sees him and others falling into addiction. You don’t need to have read the Dickens novel to find this a moving and memorable story,… show more.

Barbara Kingsolver - what else do I need to know? I've loved all her books. I hadn't been paying attention when Demon Copperhead came out, and it wasn't until I began reading that the David Copperfield-retelling aspect occurred to me. Demon had me from the first sentence and I couldn't stop. Heartbreaking, beautifully written.

This book was so deserving of its Pulitzer Prize. By turns, shocking, poignant, and visceral, Kingsolver's David Copperfield inspired novel, set in modern-day Appalachia, pulled no punches as it held a mirror up to issues like addiction and the foster system. Hard to read, but also hard to put down, it's easily my favorite read of the year.

This novel took much of America by storm, and I am no different.

I love the voice of Demon Copperhead, which bleeds from the Appalachian Mountains. He has endured more trauma over his early years than most people do in several lifetimes. I think what’s most endearing about this novel is that it is sadly believable. Demon is a boy whose local environment has doomed him before he took his first breath. He’s the kind of boy who is just hoping for a break, and as the reader, all I wanted to do was adopt him and give him a… show more.

Inspired by Dickens - not just 'David Copperfield' but also with hints of the adamantly innocent Oliver Twist - this is a highly original and absorbing novel. By using the first person, the author gets us on Demon's side and draws us into his predicaments, enabling us to understand something of the reality and tragedy of the opioid crisis in a way that avoids preaching. So absorbing was this novel that I not only didn't want it to end but I also found the next few books I read both tame and lacking in verve.