Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

239 reviews

noonjinx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I thought this was OK but not amazing. Toni Morrison’s Beloved was far more upsetting and thought provoking.

The antagonist is unpleasant and petty and does some awful things but doesn’t really have any sort of character arc. Because of his relationship with the protagonist I thought he might redeem himself but it never happened. Maybe Butler was trying to show how ordinary and natural slavery felt to white people.

Also, the science fiction element is very light, not really explored, and ultimately pointless. The idea of a mixed race 20th century couple dropped into a 19th century slave plantation is really interesting but I never really believed how they reacted or how they were treated.

I felt like Butler thought of a cool idea but then didn’t know where to go with it, ending up stuck in a melodrama. For me, that’s the worst sort of science fiction and this would have worked better as a historical story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Racism, and Slavery

Minor: Rape

lbyars99's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Grief, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Self harm, Vomit, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death

_natalie_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Racial slurs, Slavery, Ableism, Racism, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Self harm, and Blood

sannesbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is an amazing read, but this is definitely not a light read! It basically contains all the trigger warnings you can think of, so be aware of that starting this book.

Amazing writing, and a difficult, dark, thought-provoking story to read. This story is about a black woman with modern values and norms time travelling to a time of slavery in the South of America. Even though this has the sci-fi/fantasy element of time tracelling, I wouldn't consider this much as a sci-fi book. This book leans more towards historical/literary fiction. A book exploring history, humanity, society, intereacial realationships, power dynamics, racsim, sexism and trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Torture, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Racism, Rape, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, Slavery, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Murder

kstrickland0612's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• 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, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Torture, Racism, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexism

kemrick19's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Suicide attempt, Grief, Self harm, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Vomit

things100's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-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? Yes

4.0

I read this book for book club and on my was it intense I never would’ve thought to pick this book myself but I’m really glad I read it. That being said it’s really intense made me cry and scream multiple times but it was a good insight into 1800s and slavery. But again as I just said it’s really intense please read the tws

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Alcohol, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Slavery, Body horror, and Racism

Moderate: Violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Self harm

Minor: Rape, Child death, Death of parent, and Miscarriage

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

i don’t think i have proper words for how this book feels. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, Gun violence, Trafficking, Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Confinement, Gore, and Child death

charliebites's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Death, Murder, Body horror, Death of parent, Police brutality, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Slavery, Physical abuse, Self harm, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Torture

Moderate: Chronic illness, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Classism, Child death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

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