Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

91 reviews

bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

• 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

Holy fuck. This book was incredible. I have thoughts that I might articulate at some point, but that’s not happening right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Body horror, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Grief, Incest, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Rape

hcrawfo3's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Gore, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Torture, Colonisation, Cursing, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Grief, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Violence, Body horror, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Hate crime

theimposter's review against another edition

adventurous informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-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: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, Death, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Gun violence, and Physical abuse

sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

💬:“Strength. Endurance. To survive, my ancestors had to put up with more than I ever could. Much more. You know what I mean.”

Butler, Octavia. Kindred (p. 51). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, classics, time travel, fiction

📚Page Count: 264

🎧Audiobook Length: 10hrs 55mins

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Kindred is largely regarded as Octavia E. Butler's magnum opus, or in other words, her most famous and important book. This book is harrowing and it always keeps me on the edge of my seat. This book is about a Black woman from the 1970's be thrusted back in time to the antebellum south, around 1815.

Kindred was an entire experience for me. As a Black woman, this book was terrifying, the thought of going back to the antebellum south, in an era where we as Black people had no rights to speak of. Dana went through so much in this book because Octavia E Butler does not shy away from putting her characters through the wringer to prove several points. 

This book was just phenomenal! It's so hard to believe that this was written in 1979. It could have as easily been written in 1980 or 2015. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  
5/5

I listened to this audiobook on [Libro.fm]

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Body horror, Self harm, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, Blood, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Death, Cursing, and Sexism

ladydamonayde's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual violence, Cursing, Rape, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

jenmcreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is one of those books that is so good you lose any access to words trying to describe it. The word that comes up most for me is visceral. The experience of reading this book was so visceral for me. I think this does an incredible job of showing both individual responsibility in the midst of horrifying injustices (in this case, slavery, so among the very worst imaginable), however also emphasizing the way individuals can get swept up in such a large system. The narration was clear that individuals (such as Rufus) were not solely responsible for the overwhelming brutality and injustice of the system, but it also did not exonerate the characters for the acts they were responsible for. Something about this book more than anything I have ever read really drove home the relentless and lifelong brutality of life for those who were enslaved in the antebellum South, and while horrifying, this was a truly remarkable read. I feel so dumb trying to write about this book, just read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Self harm, Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Rape, Alcoholism, Child death, Sexual assault, Bullying, Cursing, Gun violence, Incest, Gaslighting, Gore, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Sexism, Blood, Hate crime, and Racial slurs

whatevanreads's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

Excuse my language…but HOLY. FUCK. This is one of the biggest Five Stars I’ve ever given any book. Octavia Butler was a pioneer, a genius, and one hell of a writer. Kindred is without a doubt one of the best books I’ve ever read. 

Let’s start with the basis of the novel itself - time traveling between “modern day” and the antebellum south was quite the juxtaposition and unlike anything I’ve read before. The way Butler deftly interlaced both time periods from Dana’s POV was masterful. Her writing is so immersive, I almost felt like I was with Dana throughout her constant journey back and forth. 

As perfect as the writing, plot, and characterization all were, the content, however, is abhorrent, brutal, triggering, and violent as Dana has to witness first-hand and experience herself the atrocities committed against enslaved people. I physically cringed, jumped, and shook with anger more times than I could count. 

There’s so much more I want to say, and I’ll more than likely come back to this review in the next few days to more concisely put my thoughts down. I’m still on the high of finishing this masterpiece…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Torture, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

fatkidatheartreads's review against another edition

4.0

Dana's savior complex was such a breeding ground for complacency. She is probably one of the most frustrating characters I have ever read about. I'm so glad I got to buddy read this book with my bestie Ashleigh, because I had so many thoughts!!! The audacity of Dana thinking that Rufus would forget she was black. Sis! Just thinking about her actions is making me angry all over again. 🙃🙃

Like I said to Ashleigh, I wish we got this same book but from one of the other slave's POV. Like Sarah or Alice... People who got to see Dana 'escape' for a while and come back. I wonder if they harbor resentment for her 'privileges' and I wish we got to read about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Slavery, Violence, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Sexual violence

foxmulders's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Rape, Racism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Medical content, Child death, Torture, Child abuse, and Infidelity

sarahrosea's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad 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: Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Murder, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Death, Violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Ableism, Death of parent, Gore, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Incest