Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

88 reviews

scmiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Ableism, Body horror, Gore, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Drug use, Medical content, Pregnancy, Vomit, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Blood, and Drug abuse

samanthaleereads's review

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Violence, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Torture, Cursing, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Gun violence

Minor: Medical content, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and War

rmesquirrel's review

adventurous emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I do not usually like time travel books but, this one was so well written and so powerful that the reader is just drawn in to the story. You will cry, feel joy, and learn too. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Colonisation, and Death

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

jodean's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Infidelity, Violence, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Racism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Classism, Death, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking

Moderate: Medical trauma, Drug use, Ableism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Rape, Police brutality, Grief, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Infertility, Incest, and Miscarriage

readingwithkaitlyn's review

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Misogyny, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Suicide, Child abuse, Self harm, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Cancer, Car accident, Colonisation, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Abandonment, Confinement, Genocide, and Incest

Mention of r slur, dismemberment.

isobel_laura's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

Going into this, I knew to expect time travel between present-day (at publication - late 1970s) and the antebellum South, but I did not expect that Kindred would ultimately be more character study than time travel/sci fi - and now I understand why it is such a memorable and timeless read for the genre. For a book under 300 pages that leans heavily on dialogue, this drives a nuanced, complicated, and deeply disturbing portrayal of the relationship between a Black woman living in the 1970s and her white (slave-holding) ancestor living in the early 19th century. The world-building is secondary here - we don't ever understand how this is happening, only why, as Dana is repeatedly pulled back in time to save Rufus's life and ensure the continuation of her family line. The abruptness of the story's start is mirrored again in its conclusion, and we are left reeling from the slow-building horror of a white boy who grows into a white man at a time when he is afforded every privilege of power and security. 

Butler consistently sows doubt in the reader: Is Dana's husband, Kevin, good enough to her, will he protect her, will he prioritize himself? Is Dana growing attached to Rufus, does she feel sorry for him, does she forgive him for his cruelty because she sees how he was raised? Do we become acclimated as Dana and Kevin do, do the horrors become loss horrible through exposure, do we become numb to it? What are we willing to sacrifice to save ourselves, a person we love, or a family member? Butler resists answering any of these questions, instead giving characters room to orbit around each other as they make their own decisions and shape their own histories. 

This is a challenging and graphic read, but a fast-paced one that evidences Butler's place in the sci-fi/fantasy canon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Violence, Misogyny, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Suicide, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Ableism, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Fatphobia

Slurs for disabled people are used (this was written and published in the 1970s and today's readers should be aware that these instances will go unchallenged on page). Fatphobia also goes unchallenged on page in the present-day (1970s) storyline.

lay_kone's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Racial slurs, Violence, Infidelity, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, and Torture

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, and Death of parent

bangyourvoid's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

A gorgeously written book, delves into the history of black America by almost mirroring the issues of the 70s to antebellum America. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Slavery, Colonisation, Classism, Misogyny, Racism, and Rape

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical content, Slavery, Torture, Child abuse, Blood, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Death