Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

64 reviews

fraboo's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

This book was incredible. I loved it so much. I found myself to be captivated by the writing, the characters and the unexpected events. It is a raw story that brings forward so many questions about grey morality. Dana's bond to Rufus and need to always save him, no matter how cruel and brutal he can be, is thoroughly developed and culminates in an outstanding finale. The way in which Octavia E. Butler investigates this bond is truly so bewitching and kept me hooked, unable to let go, willing to rush through the entire book just to know how everything would end. This has to be another fave, it blew me away every single time and left me curious and invested in the story. The only negative aspect I could pinpoint is that I felt as if the finale was a bit rushed but still very enjoyable.
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talypollywaly's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

3.0

This book is all kinds of fucked up and is not for those with a weak stomach. Still, a good addition to the sci-fi canon.
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hbathla's review against another edition

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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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chalkletters's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I absolutely understand why Kindred is classed as a fantasy book, and even why it's been chosen for my fantasy book club. It's about a character visiting another, unfamiliar world. It's just that the world in question is the antebellum American south, not an enchanted land. From a distance, I can see how those two are still fundamentally the same thing.

But I don't read fantasy because I want to explore our world. It's not that I need there to be dragons and wizards and magic. I've read a lot of fantasy that has none of the above! And I'm not, actually, saying that I didn't enjoy Kindred. It's just... not what I think of when I think of a fantasy novel. 

I thought Octavia Butler's writing was really effective. There were some lovely, subtle touches. I am, of course, predisposed to like any book that begins with characters unpacking boxes of books. But more substantially, I really enjoyed the way Octavia Butler ramped up the tension and atmosphere towards the climax.

My personal musings on genre aside, my own real criticism is that I felt as though we were promised more about how Kevin was marked by his time on the plantation than was actually delivered. Dana worried that it would mark him in some way, which added drama when
she had to leave him there
. But in the end, we weren't really given any insight into whether those worries were founded.

 Kindred  was still a satisfying read. It added context to other books I've read, especially Sugar Money by Jane Harris.
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