Reviews tagging 'Death'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

259 reviews

alpettit's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

A tough read but important. It explores the violence of slavery and the complicated relationships that can arise from it. It explores the boundaries of humanity. It explores the ethics of what is the norm versus what is right. This book will stick with me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Violence, Slavery, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Vomit, Pregnancy, Suicide, Blood, and Child death

nminst's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? N/A

5.0

WOW! This historical fiction was heart-wrenchingly captivating. I couldn’t put the book down and pulled an all-nighter for this one. Reading about the inhumane treatment of slaves will never be something I take lightly. 

I believe if more people read the DIFFICULT stuff, meaning the ugly and vile behaviors of slave owners, more compassion could be shown. In addition, there would also be a better understanding of some challenges the black community still faces such as limited access to family lineage and black poverty.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Cursing, Racism, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Death

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

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.

waffles404's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

This novel earns an easy four and a half stars out of five. Kindred is incredibly disturbing to put it lightly, but it is more intriguing than off-putting. It has the feeling of reading a horror story that is not based in vampires or zombies; it is frightening because of how real it feels. Kindred terrifies you through historical experiences that slaves had to go through at the time. Octavia Butler has done something incredible by merging this science fiction-fantasy with a neo-slave narrative to bring light to the issues of not only the past but present day as well. 

Spoilers:

The reason this book lost half a star is because the ending left something to be desired as we do not get an explanation. The audience can speculate that Dana goes into the past in order to save her ancestor, Rufus, but it is never explained why her and why that time period, and I wish we got more answers in the end. I suppose it is symbolic of the way that Dana and Kevin never got answers as so much of what happened in the past because for Black people at the time the future was so uncertain.

This novel easily earns the other four and a half stars. The way that Butler portrays relationships in this novel is enchanting, specifically the one between Dana and Rufus. Their relationship ebbs and flows from caring to pure hatred. From seeing him as a little boy, Dana views Rufus as someone who is a product of his time and tries to stop him from becoming like his father, but as we see Rufus grow up to become what Dana feared. It is devastating to watch this development because it is not immune in our present-day. Mothers and sisters watch the boys that they have seen grow up become the monsters that have hurt them despite their best efforts. It was satisfying to watch Dana kill him in the end because it feels like a hope or a promise for the cycle to end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, and Death

celesteleila's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.25

Kindred was the right name for this book. This story really dived into to the complicated ties and dynamics that surround Black people and the ancestral ties we carry to slavery. Dana’s story was illuminating because it was a more accurate portrayal of the antebellum South with all of its horrors and sadness. I found Dana to be a cold character who measures situation with a kind of dogged determination to carve her place on the plantation. Her challenge with meeting her ancestors was utterly complex and I think the physical manifestation of the scars on her body and Kevin’s gave her a true connection to the circumstances of the time. I especially love Butler’s writing - her story is captivating, horrifying and insightful all at once. This book reminded me that the ties between past and present are stronger than we think and throughout the book, Dana noted some of the origins of culture that continued into her day. All in all this book was incredible although hard to digest at points. But upon reflection, I think that’s the point to show reality, truth and authenticity of a time that some try so hard to actively erase. Read it and learn. Read it and be challenged. Read it to learn and to hear the voices lost to time that were so powerful and are connected in many ways to the world we live in today. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Death of parent, and Suicide

economydreams's review against another edition

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: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Torture, Slavery, Sexism, Kidnapping, Violence, Suicide, Hate crime, Death, Blood, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, and Misogyny

Moderate: Vomit, Medical content, and Grief

trashely's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Racism, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Rape, Domestic abuse, Gore, Vomit, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Violence, Torture, Hate crime, Death, Self harm, Murder, and Trafficking

hiagovinicius's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Bullying, Torture, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, War, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Violence, Murder, and Confinement

lillithofthepants's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Child death, Racism, Self harm, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Death, and Violence

ashybri's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Classism, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Slavery, and Confinement

Minor: Pregnancy, Self harm, Child death, and Death of parent