Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

254 reviews

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

samanthaleereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Violence, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Torture, Cursing, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Gun violence

Minor: Medical content, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and War

jodean's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Infidelity, Violence, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Racism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Classism, Death, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking

Moderate: Medical trauma, Drug use, Ableism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Rape, Police brutality, Grief, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Infertility, Incest, and Miscarriage

bougies_et_etoiles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.5

So many moments made me question why Dana was sacrificing her body and her sanity to ensure her white ancestor Rufus survived. Octavia Butler masterfully found a way to teach her readers how slavery was more than the inhumane physical bondage and horrifying violence: it was also an enslavement of people’s minds to groom them into accepting their condition. The only true hope Dana held onto was that it could all be a fever dream and end anytime she was in danger enough to go back home to 1976. Packed with symbolism and harrowing prose that left you feeling numb with only a sliver of hope for our protagonist to finally come home, Kindred is a book where the story gains momentum slowly but surely and leaves you confused and unmoored when it ends.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, and Racism

Moderate: Self harm

Minor: Rape and Suicide

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

sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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: Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Suicide, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Slavery, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Rape, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol, Self harm, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

jpsinger100's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective tense fast-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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Blood, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Self harm

schwiski's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy and Self harm

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.

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