A NEW YORK TIMES “TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2022”
An Oprah’s Book Club Selection • An Instant New York Times Bestseller • An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller • A #1 Washington Post Bestseller
“Demon is a voice for the ages—akin to Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield—only even more resilient.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick
“May be the best novel of 2022. . . . Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of an irrepressible boy nobody wants, but readers will love.” (Ron Charles, Washington Post)
From the acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees, a brilliant novel that enthralls, compels, and captures the heart as it evokes a young hero’s unforgettable journey to maturity
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.
Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind.
Kindle Customer
I grew up in Mississippi. I was a kid and teenager during the 1950’s and 60’s. My hometown was mentioned in this book, Corinth, MS three miles from the TN state line.Mississippi was a dry state back then and bootlegging was prevalent. as teens it was a short drive to the state line. Pull around back and get your beer or liquor.We heard the stories of the Gulf Coast and also noted there was a nice highway from Jackson to the coast for the convenience of the State Legislature.Written in Grisham’s style of drama and action it is a believable tale of murder and mayhem in an era of the not too distant past.A good story as usual.
Herbert L Aman III
I have read all of the Grisham books. He got my attention with his first. I was intrigued at that moment, and have stayed the course. Some tales are better than others, naturally. This ranks right up there with the best of his stories. I like a page turner, and this certainly met that criteria. The characters were well developed, I know the ways of the South, and developed the story in my own mind as it unfolded with that background as my companion. I have already recommended the book to others. I am impressed enough to include that recommendation in other conversations over the coming days. Thanks John Grisham, you made more than my day !
Addie W
Another incredible Grisham book. It’s not like his traditional courtroom dramas – this one reads more like a non-fiction historical account of the Mississippi Coast: the immigrants who shaped the area trying to work for a better life, the rise of the seafood industry, in which Biloxi became known as the Seafood Capital of the World, how families banded together after Hurricane Camille.But the main theme explores the lawlessness and corruption of Biloxi’s “Strip” area, the rise of the Dixie Mafia, police corruption, prostitution, strip clubs, drugs, mafia – ALL TRUE FACTS despite Mississippi’s reputation for being a Bible-thumping, ultra-conservative state. The coast is definitely a different world, and Grisham does a fantastic job describing the different facets of coast life from the 1940’s – 1980’s.The main storyline are two best friends who grew up playing baseball together – gotta love the mention of the still-present Biloxi-Gulfport sports rivalry – (and I love how Grisham always mentions the STL Cardinals in his novels) and how the boys would take trips out to Ship Island, go fishing, camp…but as teenagers, their lives take them down completely different paths as they follow their father’s footsteps.Both immigrant families from Croatia who settled on “The Point,” (my fellow Coasties know exactly where this is) Keith’s father became a legendary prosecutor, determined to clean up the Coast, and later became the district attorney. Hugh’s father became the “Boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground.I won’t share any spoilers! I’ve read several reviews that say the character development is horrible, that it is difficult to create a strong connection to the characters…I think he did that on purpose to create a sense of uneasiness that would have been felt if you were a part of that seedy underbelly world, not knowing who to trust and always having to watch your back.There is not a lot of dialog between the characters, which is probably why you’ll hear people saying this reads more like a history book. But living here in Biloxi, knowing how true it is that the coast is VASTLY different than the rest of the state, always hearing rumors the Dixie Mafia is still around, seeing the casinos (literally from my back deck) and clubs still flourishing, watching the shrimp boats head out from the bay, experiencing and living with all the different cultures and ethnicities here on the coast…I really enjoyed this book!
Jean Harbers
This is one of the best books I have read and i have read thousands one of his best yet This for sure is a book you don’t want to start until you have plenty of time to sit down alone and startNever have I read a book this intense and riveting You want to believe it really happened Very good job. Sure to be a movie someday
jim
This is the best novel by John Grisham in years. The characters, the plot, the suspe.nse were arresting. The use of almost exclusively third person seemed to make it easier to move forward in terms of time. I still felt, however, that the one thread of Nevin Noll should have been tied up as well. Yet, all in all, a classic Grisham. I heard e it becomes a movie.
A reader in Auburn, NY
I agree with other reviewers that the book was a little slow getting started. Grisham apparently wanted to start at the beginning of the relationships with the main characters, however it was a bit tough getting through this. However, the pace did pick up and the characters were well-developed as time went on. I also agree with another reviewer that there was a major editing error regarding whether one of the characters was dead, or freezing in Maine behind bars on pages 412, 413 and 414. Surprising for such an experienced author and editing team to have missed this. Overall though, this was a great book.
tctommy
Wow you can almost feel like your part of the story watching their lives from the beginning to the end. It’s a very realistic story tat is easy to follow and for me it was set in a time frame that I lived and grew up in.
Kitty Rescue Haven
That said, my most recent read was ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’. It may have me spoiled for more female leads. I’m on 7th chapter of Biloxi & it hasn’t grabbed me yet. I have to keep flipping pages back to be reminded of who is related to who. It’s a whole lot of male characters living life & crime in mid century deep South. Predictable, unexciting so far but Grisham is always a good read!
AJordan
I loved it! It was more narrative (story telling) than a typical novel, but it was refreshing to read a story instead of page after page of dialogue many authors feel obliged to include. It felt like I was reading a Ken Burn’s historical documentary. The novel was a well-researched story of two immigrant families and the paths they take while putting down roots in Mississippi. Grisham continues to be my go-to author. He rarely disappoints.
Roselady
The boys from Biloxi is a well written story of two families. Its early detailed description of the neighborhood, daily family life, the personalities and attitudes of the people and times resonate with those of a certain age land can take you back mentally to the past perhaps to neighborhoods where you grew up.It features two boys – one from each of those families and how their lives were largely shaped by decisions they made in their teenage years. Good decisions vs bad decisions, good associates vs bad associates … all unfold as their stories and lives play out in the book.The backdrop is Biloxi … a beautiful coastal community riddled with crime and corruption and where vice of just about every kind are out of control until the state and local politicians and police get serious about cleaning it up. That’s when things really heat up. Does crime really pay? Do the bad guys get what they deserve? Is it a predictable ending or not? All is revealed and explained in the book.Grisham continues to live up to his legacy of being a master storyteller. Each novel different, each novel somewhat familiar, but each tale still new and fresh.FYI: Be aware, there are detailed, descriptive references to boxing, cock-fighting, and other violent actions in this book