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A review by anniehayez
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a modern classic for a reason. I can’t believe it took me so long to read it. I think for a long time I was scared away by the hard truths this book tackles. I’m glad that I got over that. I finally picked up the book because I saw a TikTok of a high school teacher saying that this was one of the best revived books she ever taught in school. She said that it convinced even the most stubborn non-readers to find an interest in it. I can see why.
The writing is so accessible while still being poignant. The struggles that Dana faces are described so well and help open up lines of discourse about not only the horrors of slavery but how the nation has tried to distance itself from those horrors. Her struggle with her modern perspective on Blackness and how it clashed with the ideas of the era was also interesting. Both the white people and black people in the antebellum era had opinions on her blackness and how she should and should not act because of it. Through the book she tries to cling to her modern sense of self while trying to survive the demands of the time. The emotional conflict in the book is so moving and keeps you wondering what will happen next. All of the characters feel so fleshed out and create this rich tapestry of the world. Even Dana comments that he time in Maryland was more vivid than her “real” life in California. I think that the scale of the story was perfect and the mix of science fiction and historical fiction is perfect. I think this should be required reading.
The writing is so accessible while still being poignant. The struggles that Dana faces are described so well and help open up lines of discourse about not only the horrors of slavery but how the nation has tried to distance itself from those horrors. Her struggle with her modern perspective on Blackness and how it clashed with the ideas of the era was also interesting. Both the white people and black people in the antebellum era had opinions on her blackness and how she should and should not act because of it. Through the book she tries to cling to her modern sense of self while trying to survive the demands of the time. The emotional conflict in the book is so moving and keeps you wondering what will happen next. All of the characters feel so fleshed out and create this rich tapestry of the world. Even Dana comments that he time in Maryland was more vivid than her “real” life in California. I think that the scale of the story was perfect and the mix of science fiction and historical fiction is perfect. I think this should be required reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Rape