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A review by roseleebooks
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This was my first read by Octavia Butler and it exceeded my expectations.
The book is told from the point of view of Dana, a Black writer living in America in 1976, who is pulled abruptly into the American South in the early 1800s.
We watch Dana as she is trapped in this environment, trying to survive, doing the best she can but also having almost no control over what is happening to her. The horror and tension in the book comes from the fact that there is no way for Dana to easily return to her own time.
So many horrific things are slowly normalized, but Dana's understanding and sympathy towards those she learns to live with extends to the reader as well.
None of the characters are perfect, some are difficult to hate even though their actions are horrible. It forces the reader to confront their willingness to accept reality as it is versus what it should be. Does survival in an unjust system override doing what is right? How much do we excuse someone for being "a product of their time"?
The ending is abrupt but also brings the story full circle. I found myself going back to read the beginning again and almost continuing through with the book all over. Definitely a read I will return to.
The book is told from the point of view of Dana, a Black writer living in America in 1976, who is pulled abruptly into the American South in the early 1800s.
We watch Dana as she is trapped in this environment, trying to survive, doing the best she can but also having almost no control over what is happening to her. The horror and tension in the book comes from the fact that there is no way for Dana to easily return to her own time.
So many horrific things are slowly normalized, but Dana's understanding and sympathy towards those she learns to live with extends to the reader as well.
None of the characters are perfect, some are difficult to hate even though their actions are horrible. It forces the reader to confront their willingness to accept reality as it is versus what it should be. Does survival in an unjust system override doing what is right? How much do we excuse someone for being "a product of their time"?
The ending is abrupt but also brings the story full circle. I found myself going back to read the beginning again and almost continuing through with the book all over. Definitely a read I will return to.