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Demon Copperhead: A Pulitzer Prize Winner

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WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE - WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

A New York Times "Ten Best Books of the Year" - 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 [the year]. . . . 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.

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560 pages

Average rating: 8.49

2,833 RATINGS

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76 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

artpimpress
May 03, 2024
7/10 stars
Written with skill and beauty but it did not make me feel good and the ending seemed rushed
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Jennifer Lane
Apr 29, 2024
8/10 stars
Metal Within Him That Won't Melt Down This is a story of a boy, Damon (nicknamed Demon Copperhead due to his mischievous nature and flaming red hair) growing up in Appalachia. While his voice was endearing, I found the 21-hour audiobook too long and meandering to pack the emotional punch I was seeking. Still, there are many unique and clever quotes that stuck with me. My favorite part of the story was its study of resilience. Damon encounters quite a few mentors who guide him, though he still falls through the cracks too often. His sense of humor (describing foster care as "a cross between prison and dodgeball") protects him. His dream of seeing the ocean drives him forward. Finally, his talents and skills (including artistic drawing and physical gifts on the football field) also help him endure multiple traumas. I loved his comic strip ideas, and I rooted for him to parlay that talent into a successful career.. This description of sport displays one reason I love it so much: "Big tackles, locker room wrestling, all that hard flesh on flesh was like feeding a whole other empty stomach I never knew I had. Even the bad felt good...pushing myself in the weight room until every string in my arms was on fire, my chest clenched like a heart attack, the guy spotting me saying, "Jesus man, your face looks like a damn hemorrhoid." Most people never get anywhere close to being that much alive. Learning the plays by heart and then making them on the field--there are no words to describe. It's an act of magic to take an idea and then turn it into bodies on bodies. A full participation thing for all to see. Like what's said about the Bible: the word made flesh." I also rooted for Damon to find love, and his romance with a fellow teen addict was devastating. I felt disappointed by the lack of resolution to his love life in the end, especially with such a long book. The narration by Charlie Thurston provided a rural grounding to the character.
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Lesleylaw
Apr 24, 2024
9/10 stars
Excellent. A riveting and very human story about the deprived area of Appalachia.
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peegie77
Apr 17, 2024
8/10 stars
Long, but great character!
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JoyD
Apr 14, 2024
7/10 stars
I thought it was about 100 pages too long. A lot of redundancy.
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