I know this book is fiction, but I feel it illustrates and makes the troubles of the poverty stricken regions of Appalachia extremely real to someone who’s never visited the area or actually knows someone from there (aside from a neurosurgeon fellow so I feel like he doesn’t count). This is the raw real truth I expected from Hillbilly Elegy but never got. Demon absolutely feels like he could be a real person. He has strengths and flaws that are absolutely believable. His upbringing whilst difficult, still has some good people in it who shape him more than the bad ones. It shines a sad light on the opioid crisis in the south and it’s heartbreaking how young these victims really are. This is the first book I’ve read from Kingsolver, but I will be reading more.