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loesm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Slavery, Death of parent, Vomit, Torture, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Self harm, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Racism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Child death, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse
ninamanon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Only reason I didn’t give a higher score is that I didn’t like the writing style. It was just fine, but never beautiful or remarkable. And the ending felt a little disconnected and flat.
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Cursing, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, and Drug use
laurenlreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide, Physical abuse, Slavery, Murder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Classism, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
missionreport's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Classism, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Suicide attempt
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a tale of survival. Dana finds herself dislocated from her time and place and landing in the early 1800s in the middle of emergency. At first she saves a small boy from drowning, and then later she stops a fire. As she follows the pattern she realises that she has a connection to a young man who has very bad luck and who she continually has to save from his misadventures.
First hand, she finds out how Black and White people are divided in status and role, and how those divisions are brutally enforced. She hopes that by befriending this small child she may be able to stop him from developing into the same sort of man as his brutal, plantation-owner father.
In the same vein as Time Traveler's Wife (a book published 24 years after it)... hmm, ok I'm going there. *Incredible Tangent Person! go!* Time Traveler's Wife was interpreted for screen 6 years after its publication and Kindred, a book that also deals with slipping through time involuntarily, was adapted for screen 43 years after its publication in 1979. OK, one of those books was about a man who met the woman he eventually married when she was a child and who develops a relationship with her in chronologically asynchronous order, and the other was about a Black woman coming to understand her family's history, slavery and the brutality of oppression, by rescuing her White, several times great grandfather from death.. so I guess it's more about whether or not people want to discuss Grooming, or Inter-Racial marriage and the brutality of slavery... but why did we have to wait so long before that was a thing?
Kindred is a thoroughly compelling read and I seriously raced through the book, not wanting to put it down. The relationships are rich and messy, and offer a convincing look at what happens when we care about people despite their faults. It is a story of survival, and through Dana we are allowed a glimpse of the real life, love, fear, and survival that was endured by those living and working plantations.
Graphic: Infidelity, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Medical content, Racism, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Classism, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Child death
sarahreadsromance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Pregnancy, Torture, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
ruthhelizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Rape, and Torture
Moderate: Pregnancy and Religious bigotry
Minor: Incest, Fire/Fire injury, and Forced institutionalization
a_alves00's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Misogyny, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Hate crime, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
thevioletfoxbookshop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was an absolutely heartbreaking story to read, as it should be. And although it was written in 1979, it makes it very clear that even now (in 2023), the systemic racism, the learned behavior and roles, and the lasting impact of the slavery system in the US is still very present and very real. You realize how easily we might slip backwards and how important it is that we actively and purposefully make change, educate ourselves, and be better.
Beyond being important and valuable work, Kindred is also an incredible story. I was a little afraid that I would struggle through it (like I do with some "classic literature"), but I flew through this book! I found myself having read 20 pages at a time and not even realizing it. You become so invested in the characters and what's going to happen next! Prepare to really feel all the feels in this one!
Kindred is a 5 star read. Absolutely pick this one up!
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Slavery, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Rape
Moderate: Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Child death, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Torture, and Sexual assault
perfictionistreviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit, Classism, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Racism