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sarahsbookstack's review
mysterious
slow-paced
3.25
If you are looking for a book with ghosts and a Gothic feel to scare you , this book.... is not it. It was more of a "getting back to your roots and mending torn relationships while starting new ones" family dynamic.
There are spirits in here that one girl (Kat) can see called echoes. Of course she is kind of ostracized by the small town. 30 years ago, there was a fire in a schoolhouse and no one (there might have been one or two) survived and they are the echoes of Clearwater.
When Jerika comes to where her mom was born and ran away from and where her Gram is dying, she can see them too and it helps bond her with Kat. They also start to see what summer romance they can have.
There are spirits in here that one girl (Kat) can see called echoes. Of course she is kind of ostracized by the small town. 30 years ago, there was a fire in a schoolhouse and no one (there might have been one or two) survived and they are the echoes of Clearwater.
When Jerika comes to where her mom was born and ran away from and where her Gram is dying, she can see them too and it helps bond her with Kat. They also start to see what summer romance they can have.
consumed_by_mold's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So different from what I expected! There's unsettling atmosphere, but it's by no means a scary book.
Where to even begin? The chapters are very short, giving the story a seemingly faster pace than it actually is. The prose are beautifully describtive and detailed. It's Jericka's coming of age journey - which is extra difficult because she has anxiety on top of everything else.
I loved all the themes, there are many. First and foremost, lack of control and agency. Fear of commitment, feeling uprooted and seeking something stable, something permanent. Then there's the generational trauma, acknowledging the past hurt, grief and grudges.
It's all about how the past influences the present and deals with the complex emotions around being related to people you don't know and the feeling of being an outsider. Photography is of high importance throughout it all.
The sapphic romance is truly sweet, their dynamic and chemistry was so good from the very start. The only negative thing I've got to say is that I hate the 'cheating bisexual' trope which is used here, however literally ALL the characters are messy as fuck so I'm not too upset really.
cw: death of a grandparent, cheating, mentions of child abuse, mentions of alcoholic parent, panic attacks, homophobia (aimed at a lesbian), bullying, mentions of slavery
Where to even begin? The chapters are very short, giving the story a seemingly faster pace than it actually is. The prose are beautifully describtive and detailed. It's Jericka's coming of age journey - which is extra difficult because she has anxiety on top of everything else.
I loved all the themes, there are many. First and foremost, lack of control and agency. Fear of commitment, feeling uprooted and seeking something stable, something permanent. Then there's the generational trauma, acknowledging the past hurt, grief and grudges.
It's all about how the past influences the present and deals with the complex emotions around being related to people you don't know and the feeling of being an outsider. Photography is of high importance throughout it all.
The sapphic romance is truly sweet, their dynamic and chemistry was so good from the very start. The only negative thing I've got to say is that I hate the 'cheating bisexual' trope which is used here, however literally ALL the characters are messy as fuck so I'm not too upset really.
cw: death of a grandparent, cheating, mentions of child abuse, mentions of alcoholic parent, panic attacks, homophobia (aimed at a lesbian), bullying, mentions of slavery
kingju1ian's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
caseythereader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thanks to FSG Young Readers for the free copy of this book.
- SOMETHING KINDRED is like Jas Hammonds x Courtney Gould, and I loved it.
- This is a book about relationships between women and how generational trauma can affect them. I loved all the women in this book, and watching them grapple with the choices they had made in their lives.
- These relationships dovetailed so beautifully with the exploration of small town life; how something can feel like home and be stifling at the same time. The imagery and feelings it evoked will stay with me for a long time.
- SOMETHING KINDRED is like Jas Hammonds x Courtney Gould, and I loved it.
- This is a book about relationships between women and how generational trauma can affect them. I loved all the women in this book, and watching them grapple with the choices they had made in their lives.
- These relationships dovetailed so beautifully with the exploration of small town life; how something can feel like home and be stifling at the same time. The imagery and feelings it evoked will stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Grief, Medical content, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Cancer
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Homophobia
Minor: Child abuse
caitiep92's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
janus's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I went into Something Kindred expecting one thing, and instead, I received something entirely different, which pleasantly surprised me.
When I first went into the arc, I believed it was going to be a Southern Gothic horror, and I quickly realized that was not the case (shame on me for not doing more research). Something Kindred follows Jericka during the summer before her senior year and her struggles with coming to terms with the many different things going on in her life. There is a paranormal element, but this story is Jericka's story. So, if you're looking for something that goes into the more paranormal/horror genre, this is not the book for you.
This book is magical realism steeped in the duality of homeliness and trapping a small town can bring, facing the consequences of the choices people make, and coming to understand that and each other better. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I will be on the lookout for more by Ciera Burch.
Cheers!
When I first went into the arc, I believed it was going to be a Southern Gothic horror, and I quickly realized that was not the case (shame on me for not doing more research). Something Kindred follows Jericka during the summer before her senior year and her struggles with coming to terms with the many different things going on in her life. There is a paranormal element, but this story is Jericka's story. So, if you're looking for something that goes into the more paranormal/horror genre, this is not the book for you.
This book is magical realism steeped in the duality of homeliness and trapping a small town can bring, facing the consequences of the choices people make, and coming to understand that and each other better. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I will be on the lookout for more by Ciera Burch.
Cheers!
ilikereadingactually's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
rissiereadsalot's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dejeunee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Something Kindred kept pulling me back in again and again even though there was something very eerie about reading this book. The imagery in these pages is done so well that the feeling of being on edge stays with you as you read. Jericka, our main character, dragged back to her mom’s hometown in Maryland, is forced to confront ghosts of the past that don’t belong to her— but also they do. The sins of the mothers are definitely reaped by the children. I appreciated the representation of Jericka’s anxiety, specifically the way her racing thoughts and things she wanted to say were choked up in the face of the adults she needed to speak with. That felt very authentic and resonated with a teenage me.
This is a story about coming home & creating a home. It’s beautifully done.
This is a story about coming home & creating a home. It’s beautifully done.