Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

21 reviews

graceybookster's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

5.0

🎧 Audiobook 🎧

WOW! This was outstanding!

I came across this via someone on bookstagram and was so captivated by the blurb I just had to read it! 

This is not your usual historical fiction book depicting slavery, it is also a modern tale entwined with elements of sci-fi/magical realism at its finest!!  

We follow Dana, a 26 year old black woman from the 70s, who suddenly keeps getting pulled back in time to save Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner during the antebellum south! Where slavery and racism was rife and at its harshest, it’s difficult to imagine just how Dana could navigate and survive such a dangerous place. 

This had me hooked from the very beginning. It was mysterious, incredibly gripping and kept you guessing as to what would happen next throughout with regards to timelines and particular relationships of the characters. Through Dana’s own eyes and footsteps we as readers were pulled along with her, and shown firsthand just how atrocious black people and slaves were treated during this time. It was shocking and brutal and I’m sure just the tip of the iceberg to what actually happened. 

This not only highlighted the white privilege of its time, but also of todays day and age and that racism is something most definitely taught. It broke my heart to see how an innocent child was influenced so negatively at such a young age into believing that other human beings held such little value in society compared to their own, purely for the fact that their skin colour was different. It also explored the example of how the tiniest bit of empathy taught in place of the bigotry, could change an impressionable mind and so many lives for the better if only given the chance, but also just how quickly things could turn if that compassion and understanding was absent and inconsistent. 

This was a complex story covering many dark and hard topics not only including the above and many more, but one of which also stood out to me which was emotional and domestic abuse. It encapsulates how the feelings and hope of change could keep a person stuck in a toxic environment or relationship much to their detriment, but also how easily it is for someone to become trapped in that pattern and life with no other choice or options. It’s tragic.

I’ve since found that there is a tv series which has been based on this book so I’m definitely eager to watch that now. 

This book is definitely worth a read not only for your own education, but also for the children of our future. I know I will be teaching my own son to treat all people with empathy, kindness and respect and hope that in time, the world will become a much better and safer place for all if only everyone else did the same. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

scifi_rat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

leah152's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Blood, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Mental illness and Injury/Injury detail

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

Sci-fi crossed with historical fiction. It had some outlander vibes, just based over the ocean in the US. The time travel element just felt a bit out there and the timing of visits seemed haphazard but can see why it was needed.

It was compelling, it was emotional, it was thoroughly frightening. Not only what was common practice in the time period in which they travelled to but the fact it didn't take long for them to slip into the expected roles of the time, albeit that would have somewhat been because of human instinct to survive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

hylian_narwhal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide

badbadwolf's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

kiwichill's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Excrement, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

ahoyitsjoy's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Absolutely harrowing read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying and Infidelity

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Vomit, and Alcohol

hiagovinicius's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape and Fire/Fire injury