Review by Library Journal Review
In southwestern Virginia's Lee County, Damon "Demon Copperhead" Fields tells, via first-person reflection through his young adult eyes, of his childhood within the Department of Social Services system. His story begins at age 10 in the late 1990s and chronicles his experiences to the early 2000s. When his mother dies by overdose, Demon is thrust into the foster system. He suffers through several foster homes until he lands in the home of the local high school's football coach. After a football-related knee injury, Demon suffers inadequate medical attention and pressure to recover quickly for the sake of the sport, and soon becomes addicted to opioids. Despite being surrounded mostly by a peer group of users, Demon manages to cling to a support system of nonusers, adults, and peers who stand by him throughout his trials and eventual recovery. With pitch-perfect accents and sensitive characterizations, Charlie Thurston (The Warsaw Orphan) narrates. VERDICT Kingsolver's (Unsheltered) reimagining of Dickens's David Copperfield is a piercing bildungsroman exposing social injustices inflicted upon rural Appalachia amid abject poverty and the burgeoning U.S. opioid epidemic. Its many discussion points, social relevance, and hopeful ending make this a first-rate choice for all, and especially for book clubs.--Kym Goering
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