Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

45 reviews

sherbertwells's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Dana, a Black woman from 1975, is mysteriously and repeatedly transported to antebellum Maryland to save the life of a brutal ancestor. With plain, brutal prose and a gripping plot, Butler’s most famous work makes an uneasy home between science fiction, historical mystery and enduring political literature.

“There had to be some kind of reason for the link he and I seemed to have. Not that I really thought a blood relationship could explain the way I had twice been drawn to him…What we had was something new, something that didn’t even have a name. Some matching strangeness in us that may or may not have come from our being related” (29) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Addiction, Genocide, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

manarnia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is difficult, enthralling, and important. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Pregnancy

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, and Vomit

hbathla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping

readandfindout's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

In 2019: 4.5 stars. This story was so layered, and it had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next. The nuanced way that Butler dissects slavery is excellent. This is the book that made me want to look into everything else she wrote.

2024 reread: 4.5 stars

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism and Fire/Fire injury