Allison Becker’s Reviews > Demon Copperhead > Status Update

I am not enjoying this book. What do you think of it?

I’m finding it really sad, honestly. It’s one of those books that I wouldn’t necessarily describe as enjoyable because the sadness feels so pervasive. So much of Demon’s story involves poverty, neglect, addiction, loss, and the failure of the adults and systems that are supposed to protect him, and there’s something especially difficult about watching all of that happen to a character you’ve become invested in.

That said, I do think the humor and Demon’s own voice keep it from becoming completely bleak. I’m listening to it rather than reading it, and I actually think that’s making me more invested in finishing it. Even when it’s difficult or depressing, I feel compelled to keep going because I’m curious about where the narrative is ultimately taking him and what his larger arc will be. So I’m not sure I’d say I’m enjoying it exactly. I think I’m more emotionally invested in it than entertained by it.

I’m also reading a silly romance alongside it that I know is guaranteed to have a happy ending and requires absolutely no critical thinking on my part, which is honestly a necessary counterbalance.