A review by thereadingwells
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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

4.5

Dana, the main character - a Black woman living in 1976 California (present-day at the time of its writing by Octavia Butler) - is suddenly and inexplicably thrust from her own time to the antebellum South of the 1800s while celebrating her 26th birthday with her husband in the comfort of her own home. This is a sci-fi novel, yes, but it's also a gutwrenching and arduous journey through Dana's eyes as she's repeatedly taken from her own time to another, and back, with no control of her own. 

This book isn't the most lyrical and romantic in prose (again, it's a sci-fi read), but it makes you think deeply long after you read the final chapter - and that's something beautiful that all good books should to, in my opinion. I would describe it as a medium-paced book - but I tore through it in a day or so and will certainly be reading more Octavia Butler in the future. 
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