A review by uyeb
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

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

4.25

this book is such a complicated thing to give a rating to, especially since i read it for school, but i will say what i do know: this is amazing. it’s powerful, and painful, and disturbing in the very specific way of knowing that this is effectively a true story (just with a little time travel). it’s also written incredibly- i annotated it for ‘powerful language’ in pink for school because we’re supposed to and every page has at least one underline or highlight or comment in pink if not five of them. basically i mean octavia butler has a very amazing writing style. there were a lot of times i just had to put the book down and sit there. the time travel is also great (? that word doesn’t really apply here ever but i just mean it’s cool as a concept and how it’s used) but my favorite thing is the codependent and complicated nature of dana and rufus’s relationship. i neither have good words to describe it nor do i want to add spoilers but i think that dynamic morbidly fascinating and brilliantly written. i don’t really have a lot of coherent thoughts about everything else but just know it’s perfectly done. i don’t think i would’ve read this book if not for school but i really am glad i did. if this is any indicator of how ap lit is gonna be then i’m excited. top tier of school books if not the best one so far. 
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