Demon Copperhead
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This is really unlike anything I’ve read in a long time. We’re talking vivid characters like you wouldn’t believe. I cared about the narrator’s fate in a visceral way, and I was crushed every time he took an L. He took a lot of Ls.
Demon Copperhead follows the life of Damon, a boy born to a young, single, poverty-stricken mother in rural Appalachia. Damon narrates the entire story (think a more jaded, edgier version of Room). He’s looking back on his life, trying to pinpoint where things went awry and speculate how he could have re-railed the train wreck of his life. The narration is so unique because he’s both a snarky old soul aged by his burdens and a literal child with some naivety and hope.
I was rooting for Damon so hard that my husband practically had to pry the book from me come bedtime. The book is long- about 550 pages- but it reads at a quick clip because it never takes a pause. Damon can’t catch a break, so why should you??
The book covers a lot of tragedy in a realistic way. It’s settled in the hotbed of the opioid crisis, a region ravaged and then dismissed as full of a bunch of hicks destined to be the butt of a joke. Damon weaves really compelling commentary about the region throughout, likely reflective of the author’s own opinions as an Appalachian resident who is outspoken about the benefits of country living. I first experienced Barbara Kingsolver by reading The Poisonwood Bible, which had its own innovative narrative structure. Then, I read Flight Behavior, which focused on the intersection of climate change and Appalachia but failed to captivate me character-wise. Demon Copperhead is next level. Coming off the heels of Verity, my previous review, it felt so refreshing to be reminded that some books can be all of the things that you want at once: deeply intelligent, emotionally potent, suspenseful, intricate, and easy to read because it’s so captivating. This book really is that bitch. Go read it! (Using my link above, obviously). It receives 5 out of 5 flames.
