Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

346 reviews

proftoddreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Synopsis

Easily one of the best, most impactful novels I’ve read this year. Kindred follows main character Dana, a Black woman just starting her career as a writer in California in the late 1970s, who travels back in time to a plantation in 1815 where she must save Rufus, the son of a white slave owner, from drowning. This becomes the first in a series of time traveling events for Dana, each one tied to a moment in time when Rufus’ life is in danger. Dana quickly discovers Rufus is one of her ancestors, meaning her own existence is tied to her ability to keep Rufus alive. As Rufus grows into an adult and becomes increasingly more corrupted by the time period and system of slavery he lives in, Dana struggles more and more with the moral dilemma of keeping him alive.

Analysis

Through Dana we see not only the visceral horrors of slavery, but also the ways in which racism and slavery as systems of oppression destroy everyone they touch, even the white slave owners. Butler complicates our feelings by providing white slave owners who have moments of goodness, perhaps even kindness, and juxtaposing those scenes with the gruesome cruelty they inflict upon their slaves. Slavery is a system that corrupts absolutely, Butler shows us. No one and nothing can flourish within it. Love, family, and friendship are all ultimately destroyed. 

Review

Though this novel was written and set in the 1970s, its messages about racism and the power of our history and past on the present remain relevant today. Butler demonstrates the impact of generational trauma; the ease with which we, as a nation, can be easily pulled back into old systems and patterns of racism, despite our belief that we have progressed beyond them; and the importance of understanding how pervasive the legacy of slavery is on every facet of our nation still today. 

This is not an easy read (please check trigger warnings), but the experience is well worth it. The writing and characters are so impactful and moving, the themes and messages so powerful, it’s easy to see why this is one of Butter’s most celebrated works.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Slavery, Sexual assault, Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

badbadwolf's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Murder, Medical content, Rape, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Torture, Child death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Trafficking, Vomit, Blood, Physical abuse, Colonisation, and Sexual violence

alrauna's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

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

porshainielsen's review against another edition

adventurous reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Going into this book I was expecting some more uppity-academic-like jargon, but was pleasantly surprised. This story was extremely fast-paced and digestible. It was almost too fast-paced, I wanted more from it.

I knocked down a star just because I felt that Dana was lacking emotional depth. When she is separated from her husband it's kind of an ehh situation and she just keeps moving. At the end of the book, even when there are two violent deaths, it feels like she almost immediately recovers, and not in a way to protect herself. At first, this feels like this is because she simply does not have time to feel these strong emotions as she is thrust in and out of the 18th century, but eventually, you'd think there would be a time for the reader to see some of it. Similarly, with Rufus, he is also lacking growth. Although it is a part of the plot for him to become a "man of the times," there still could have been more emotion from his character. The way that he and the other characters just accept Dana as a time traveler seems pretty crazy for the time; including her jeans, her aspirin pills, etc. I kind of enjoyed that part though, because in other time travel novels, it feels like they beat it over the head how different they are from the time they traveled to.

Overall, would check out more of Octavia Butler's books and might even watch the show!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicide

sabripolin's review against another edition

reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

Totally transported (pun not intended…) by the vivid imagery of Dana’s experience in two time periods, but mostly by the complex, conflicting emotions and ethical dilemmas she encounters and how to manage situations in a period-appropriate manner. 

Minus points (?) for all characters’ lack of FREAKING OUT and Dana’s seemingly emotionless disposition all throughout. We also don’t really get a “why” to why this all happened or what triggered her first transportation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Ableism, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content

dixiecarroll's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

This was so interesting and horrific at the same time. I took off half a star because the complexities of slavery and how easy it *seemed* to be to adapt to horrible circumstances were a little too pointed in the first half, but the second half weaved this in very well. I listened to this and was audibly gasping left and right because I was so invested and heartbroken. Can’t believe I didn’t have to read this in school and hope that this can be required reading one day for everyone, especially white Americans. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Classism, Cursing, Grief, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide

alpaca_in_space's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is an example of what makes Octavia Butler a great author. While it has darker themes, they don't feel added for the sake of shock value - instead they were clearly added to ensure the story was handling the implications of its premise. It is an incredible work of literature inviting readers into one of the darkest parts of the United States's past and to think about what lasting impacts it had into today.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Rape

At the beginning of the book we see that Dana is missing an arm due to the events of the book, as time passes it is revealed that it is because

it was phased into the wall when she was sent back to her time after she killed the man trying to assault her

.

tragicromancer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

“What would I have done in such-and-such a time” seems to be a common question that we ask ourselves as human beings.  This novel wrestles with that premise in one of the most intense stories I’ve ever read.  An utterly compelling piece of science fiction and social/historical commentary.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Racism

mareltor's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

W. O. W. This book left me grappling with so many feelings. She really didn’t hold back. This book didn’t go the way I imagined it would, but it’s more impactful because of that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

kiwichill's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Bullying, Death, Murder, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Vomit, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Torture, Violence, Sexual violence, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Excrement, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Cursing