Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, is a marathon read of a book and you can see why it has won awards. It is a fascinating read of how one boy who grew up in care in America, managed to overcome all his addictions, after his fledgling career as a football player was destroyed by his knee injury. Demon did meet people who did help him along the way, it just took him a while to realise who they were. Once Demon had managed to get through his addictions he was able to start to live his life his way, his choice. Highly recommended

I know nothing about David Copperfield so I had no idea what to expect and my gosh, there is a lot of heartbreak in this coming of age story. Within the first few chapters I was physically hurting and I was almost scared to pick it up at times because I was dreading what would happen next. But that pain is important. It’s supposed to shock us, to open our eyes. I really couldn’t get my head around the fact that these characters aren’t real people, because Kingsolver is such a masterful writer, but also because they *are* real. They will have different names and stories but they are still stuck in these cycles of pain and suffering, stuck in a world of modern day poverty, in a system that doesn’t care. If you’ve had any experience with or have known anyone who has struggled with addiction you’ll recognise a lot between these pages. The cycle that passes from generation to generation, the chains that are impossible to break. While I was reading I wasn’t sure it was going to be a five star read or a new favourite, but I finished a few weeks ago and Demon haunts me. He’s one of the most endearing and heartbreaking characters I’ve ever read and I’m so glad I got to hear his story. Highly recommend.

A boy's journey. The first sentence: "First, I got myself born", grabbed me and didn’t let me go until I reached the last page. Damon, born to a druggie mother who hired a trailer home on the property of Mr Peg and Mrs Peggot, spent his early years trying to keep his mother sober and drug-free so that she could work to put food on the table. There was not much money for anything else. The Peggot's grandson (Matt aka Maggot) lived with them while his mother was in jail for manslaughter. A similar age, the boys form a lasting close friendship. Damon's life is reasonable and manageable (his name quickly changed to Demon Copperhead once he reached school age because of his red hair, inherited from his father, a Melungeon from the Appalachian district), until the day his mother comes home with a new man – claiming that Stoner is going to be a wonderful stepdad and all-round support to them. This quickly turns into a toxic relationship and ends with his mother overdosing and Demon being taken into care. It's a harrowing tale of Demon being trapped in a system of social workers who are overloaded with cases and foster parents who lie to take on children so that they can be exploited. The book shocked me with the revelations about how easily prescription drugs can turn into addiction very quickly. Unless the addict is incredibly lucky, they don’t stand a chance to get the help they need to turn their lives around. Barbara Kingsolver got the idea to author this book, based on David Copperfield, after staying at Charles Dickens's home, now a guest house. The storyline is riveting, with hope at the end of the 633 pages that Demon can survive. Rony Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

Another book that has been on my shelf for far too long, my first book by the author but I will definitely be reading more by her. This book has so many differing storylines , which perfectly interlink, I felt the emotions of the characters and the issues they face, which there was a lot of! poverty, child neglect, addiction and the foster care system. I fell for Demon immediately and just wanted to protect him from all those who had failed him, such an endearing character, I couldn’t not root for him. I’m very late to this, but it’s a beautiful book which needs to be experienced by all, this is a chunky read but I wanted it to go on for longer to spend more time with the characters.

This book grips you and won't let you go. The life of Demon is compelling. I am drawn to books that take you into a world I know nothing about and rural America is definitely one. You really feel his pain and cheer on his determination and optimism that he will eventually break free of his unpromising start in life. Time after time he finds himself at the bottom of the pile but keeps fighting his way back. The drug culture of America and the pull between rural life and the rest of USA builds. There are many complex themes in this book which must be a classic. It also has love, loss, murder - it's all in here. Didn't want it to end.