A review by oliviahamilton
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

I was blown away by this book. It packs so much history and cultural criticism into a deeply entertaining (though, obviously, very dark) time travel story. Content warnings should be read carefully, but if you come to this book prepared, it will blow you away. 

The audiobook acting (by Kim Staunton) was very well done and really brought the story to life. Will definitely be seeking out more audiobooks she has read.

Overall found the character development to be remarkable -- even when characters were frustrating me, their motives were clear. I'm a bit surprised
Dana never told Rufus she was his great (x4ish) granddaughter, though I guess she feared he'd alter history to get back at her if he knew.
I could have read 100 more pages of backstory, but I'm glad it doesn't drag on too long and keeps focused on the story.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings