Demon Copperhead

Kingsolver’s citation of David Copperfield as THE inspiration for this novel seems unnecessary— let the book stand in its own; Demon Copperhead pretty much does.

The Good: Kingsolver’s passionate narrative causes the reader to feel “all the feels” of the protagonist, you are right there with him during his highest highs and his lowest lows.

The Bad: Unfortunately, this epic comes off a little "too epic", a little too self-aware, to the point that some of its moments are too cleanly packaged in a way that is obviously trying to live up to its own hype, and ends up falling a little flat because of it.

In the end, Kingsolver's tale has many beautiful, engrossing moments, but isn't able to weave a strong enough thread between the string of passionate episodes that are explored, ultimately leaving the reader scrambling to piece together a coherent thematic takeaway.