Reviews - Kindred: laços de sangue

17.7k reviews for:

Kindred: laços de sangue

Octavia E. Butler

4.39 AVERAGE

mamakiwi's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I loved everything about it, I may have just preferred a different ending but I understand it was the ending that best fit the message Butler was trying to send and I respect that very much.

Content Warnings

ahoov's review against another edition

4.5

dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

theletteri's review against another edition

4.0

Μια μαύρη γυναίκα από το 1976 βρίσκεται να ταξιδεύει μπρος πίσω στο χρόνο κάθε φορά που ένα λευκό αγόρι κινδυνεύει. Καταλαβαίνει πως στη φυτεία που βρίσκεται ζουν και πρόγονοι της οι οποίοι ζουν ως σκλάβοι της λευκης οικογενειας και βρίσκεται ξαφνικά στην πιο παράξενη θέση.

Για την εποχή του, εξαιρετικά πρωτοποριακό. Αν και θα ήθελα να στηθεί περισσότερο η πλοκή του μεταφυσικού ταξιδιού στο χρόνο κι να δοθεί ένα πιο ικανοποιητικό τέλος που να ένωνε τελικα τις τέλειες κι να σκιαγραφεί μια ξεκάθαρη εικόνα, το ευχαριστήθηκα δεόντως.

Σαφώς πρωταρχικός στόχος της συγγραφέας ήταν μάλλον να αποδώσει τη σκλαβιά των μαύρων και προσπαθούσε με ενσυναίσθηση να καταδείξει πως το λευκό αγόρι μεγαλώνοντας αναπαρήγαγε τα λευκά πρότυπα στη ζωή του χωρίς να μπορεί να τα αποτίναξει.

4/5 λοιπόν

ohlookitsgilly's review against another edition

5.0

This is a book that I was assigned to read in high school that I clearly remember being moved invested in - not to say that I didn't invest in others, but this one stuck with me. I'll have to reread soon.

fearlessfictionalfemme's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Kindred is a classic for a reason. Going in, I did not know the premise of the story, and that made the experience even more powerful. The novel pulls you in immediately through Dana’s shocking reveal, and from that point forward every trip keeps you on edge. Is this the trip where it happens, or the next one? The intensity of the story is unrelenting, but it is also an unflinching look at American history, told through the raw reality of slavery.

I appreciated the subtle touches Butler weaves throughout. The way she connects Dana’s family history with Kevin, Rufus, and the enslaved people of the time is seamless. The time travel itself felt grounded, especially when Dana had to educate herself on the time period in order to survive. I loved the historical details, like the last meeting happening on July 4, 1976, the two-hundredth anniversary of America, or the mention of malaria before it even had that name. These details bring another layer of intentionality to the book.

One of the hardest elements for me was Rufus. At times, I felt genuine sympathy for him even though I knew exactly what he represented. His complicated, destructive “love” for Alice was heartbreaking, and Butler captures the tension between personal connection and systemic oppression so well. That emotional pull is part of what makes this book so unforgettable.

This is a quintessential read.

Content Warnings