Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

667 reviews

tris0312's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

Moderate: Child death and Suicide

oliviahamilton's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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

I was blown away by this book. It packs so much history and cultural criticism into a deeply entertaining (though, obviously, very dark) time travel story. Content warnings should be read carefully, but if you come to this book prepared, it will blow you away. 

The audiobook acting (by Kim Staunton) was very well done and really brought the story to life. Will definitely be seeking out more audiobooks she has read.

Overall found the character development to be remarkable -- even when characters were frustrating me, their motives were clear. I'm a bit surprised

Dana never told Rufus she was his great (x4ish) granddaughter, though I guess she feared he'd alter history to get back at her if he knew.

I could have read 100 more pages of backstory, but I'm glad it doesn't drag on too long and keeps focused on the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

Sci-fi crossed with historical fiction. It had some outlander vibes, just based over the ocean in the US. The time travel element just felt a bit out there and the timing of visits seemed haphazard but can see why it was needed.

It was compelling, it was emotional, it was thoroughly frightening. Not only what was common practice in the time period in which they travelled to but the fact it didn't take long for them to slip into the expected roles of the time, albeit that would have somewhat been because of human instinct to survive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

victor_constantine's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy

halftimelord's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I didn't know what to expect from this book but the synopsis was intriguing. It took me a bit of time to get into it but I definitely enjoyed the second half more than the first, which is when the plot really seemed to get going and the tension really built. 

The characters were well written, especially seeing the characters like Carrie and Alice grow up, although I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be convinced by the more nuanced parts of Rufus... I don't think Kevin has aged very well either. 

A very heavy book that deals with a lot of difficult subject matter and themes (as you'd expect from the plot). I definitely want to read more Octavia Butler in the future!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery

sarah984's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• 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

Time travel stories can be a bit hit or miss for me - I find that a lot of the time they get too caught up in either the mechanics or the power fantasy, so they don't feel like they have anything to say. Kindred knows what it wants to say and says it effectively. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

Minor: Gun violence, Incest, Abortion, and Fire/Fire injury

kat42's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Suicide, and Pregnancy

andoriachan's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Vomit, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

tddaffin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the first novel I’ve read by Octavia E. Butler, but it definitely won’t be the last.

First and foremost, this book kept me on my toes the entire time and I truly did not know what to expect next. There were moments where I wish I was wearing my apple watch just to check to see if my heart rate had increased at all.

Kindred is a mix of historical and science fiction that follows Dana, an African-American woman from the 1970s, who gets suddenly transported back to the antebellum South. There, she has to save a young white boy named Rufus, who keeps finding himself in dangerous situations.

Butler’s storytelling is compelling, and her characters are incredibly complex. She takes us on a gripping journey into ancestry and what it’s like to be pulled out of a comfortable present and thrown into a frightening past. The way Dana deals with her new surroundings and the people she meets feels real and highlights the complexities of human nature.

One quote that really stood out to me is when Dana and Kevin find some kids playing “Sell the Slave,” and Dana says, “…I never realized how easily people could be trained to accept slavery.” This quote sums up a major theme of the novel: how ordinary people can become okay with or accept deep-seated injustices. Through Dana’s experiences and the shifting dynamics around her, Butler shows how systemic oppression is maintained by societal acceptance and personal compromise. It’s a powerful reminder of uncomfortable truths about history and human behavior, making Kindred a thought-provoking read that feels very relevant today.

We need to learn from history to keep it from repeating itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide

razkat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol