A review by celesteleila
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Kindred was the right name for this book. This story really dived into to the complicated ties and dynamics that surround Black people and the ancestral ties we carry to slavery. Dana’s story was illuminating because it was a more accurate portrayal of the antebellum South with all of its horrors and sadness. I found Dana to be a cold character who measures situation with a kind of dogged determination to carve her place on the plantation. Her challenge with meeting her ancestors was utterly complex and I think the physical manifestation of the scars on her body and Kevin’s gave her a true connection to the circumstances of the time. I especially love Butler’s writing - her story is captivating, horrifying and insightful all at once. This book reminded me that the ties between past and present are stronger than we think and throughout the book, Dana noted some of the origins of culture that continued into her day. All in all this book was incredible although hard to digest at points. But upon reflection, I think that’s the point to show reality, truth and authenticity of a time that some try so hard to actively erase. Read it and learn. Read it and be challenged. Read it to learn and to hear the voices lost to time that were so powerful and are connected in many ways to the world we live in today. 
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