Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Something Kindred

Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Something Kindred by Ciera Burch

4 reviews

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.

Content Warnings

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

I really appreciated this coming-of-age story (that had a hint of a supernatural / surrealism aspect) about Jericka, who travels with her mom to Coldwater, Maryland in the summer before senior year, because her maternal grandmother's health is ailing. She leaves her romantic relationship status up in the air, as she only told her boyfriend that she was leaving for the summer the night before! Jericka meets Kat, who teaches her about the town's dark history, leaving echoes behind, who try to convince the women in the town to stay there forever. Jericka is confused as to why they even returned to Coldwater to take care of her grandma, when all she knows about her grandma is that she abandoned her mom and uncle when they were young, and never returned for them. They were left with an abusive father, so Jericka is curious as to this change of heart.

I thought Ciera Burch did such a fantastic job of highlighting how generational trauma continues when it's unchecked and unconfronted. Though the town's echoes attempt to keep the women in Coldwater, so many stories of abandonment remain the central focus of so many relationships here. It almost feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Jericka discovers so much about her childhood, her absent father (who also lives in Coldwater with his wife and two kids), and grows through it all.

This was a quieter coming-of-age story, but it was so well written, and I think it would translate well onscreen! I will continue to look out for CB's work in the future!

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shelvesofivy's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

First off, thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for this e-arc!

This book, on the surface, is a contemporary, magical realism story, but it's also so much more than that. It held so much depth with the town's history, the intergenerational traumas and relationships, and the coming-of-age aspects of Jericka's story.

While this book technically includes a sapphic romance, it's definitely not the focus. Burch nailed each and every relationship written between Jericka and those in her life. She handled themes of family, forgiveness, and grief in such candid and beautiful ways.

There were times that the pacing and scene/chapter transitions felt choppy to me, but the emotional beats and prose were so strong otherwise. I'm also not usually a huge fan of endings that

leave as many things "unresolved,"

but it truly works for this story. It feels like the right ending after everything.

Overall, this book had so many strengths that it's hard to put them all into words.

Content Warnings

booktribe's review against another edition

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emotional slow-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

3.0

So, this book wasn’t what I was expecting. The synopsis is way more ominous than the book is. I went into the book assuming there would be a curse on the town and vengeful spirits. There are spirits, but they aren’t the focus of the novel. I’d say the book is like 50% family story, 40% romance, and 10% ghosts. Which is not a bad thing at all and it was definitely a good book, I just wish it had been advertised correctly.

This novel was an emotional one full of abandonment, grief, love, and so much more. The family dynamic was very interesting. The family had lots of depth and conflicting feelings of love and immense hurt & betrayal. And I loved Kat, the love interest. She was such a fun and kind person, and honestly, she deserved better than the main character Jericka. I really disliked Jericka’s character. She was selfish, inconsiderate, and just straight up mean at times. I did enjoy a lot of the side characters though!

I definitely would’ve enjoyed this more if I knew that I was getting into more of a coming of age type of story rather than a ghost story. So if you’re looking for an emotional read with complex family dynamics and first love (with a few ghosts & a southern gothic feel) you’ll enjoy this one!

I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: parental abandonment, cancer, domestic and child abuse, death, racism, hate crimes

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