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A review by the_bookishmum
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
dark
emotional
reflective
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
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, Slavery, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
This book is not without its flaws but it is also a harrowing look into what slavery would have been like through the eyes of a more modern black woman after she has been transported back in time. It’s never really explained why she goes back in time, there is an ancestral link to the people there but beyond that it isn’t clear. Throughout her experiences, Dana is changed. There were moments in this book that were absolutely heartbreaking and the truth that Dana uncovered about her family heritage is one that both she as the character and myself as the reader were unprepared for. She had assumed that the past paralleled her life where she was from but the truth was far worse. This is not a lighthearted read but it is an important one.