Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler

11 reviews

ritabriar's review

challenging dark hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

This graphic novel adaptation goes almost as hard as the original. Though maybe that's because I knew about

the horrific whippings

before I started this read. Check on content warnings. Octavia Butler is always a brutal, worthwhile read. 

The plot repeatedly visits the life of a white boy and slave owner's son in Maryland, starting in 1819. The book overall is an account of conditions for slaves during that time, contrasting at regular intervals with modern conditions and amenities. 

Though the rules of the "magic" are clear, the forces that cause Dana to travel back and forth in time are never explained. Instead, Kindred explores the humanity of everyone in the South at that time. It examines the choices white plantation owners made during that time and the pressures on them to dehumanize the people they enslaved. It examines why slaves might have talked badly about one another. It explores how modern minds might react in such a setting. It does it all in a well-researched, historically accurate setting. 

For those with interest in reading both versions, this adaptation changes what happens with Kevin. This adaptation highlights our choices and the original points out that modern minds are still human, same as those in the antebellum South. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

Fear of leaving the house High-risk, self-destructive behavior Amputation Medical content occurs pre-Civil-War No one is hit by

bullets

on-page Violence is white-on-Black and Black-on-white, exploring the outcomes of each There is also a slow and horrible crushing of Dana's mind, with a hopeful ending

apple_atcha_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

dustytealeaf's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

gemstonejasper's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a great adaptation of the original book. It's been years since I read the original, so I thought I'd pick this up to scratch that itch without having to read all of Kindred again (I'm in the middle of Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy, so I didn't want to get her writing confused). At first, the art seemed jarring. But the more I read, the more I realized that the art is a perfect fit for the story. 

It's a heartbreaking story that explores Dana's perspective as she is repeatedly pulled into the past to save the life of Rufus, her distant white ancestor. The first time she is pulled back, he is just a child and she saves his life. Each time she goes, he has aged up anywhere from months to years. To keep her family line going, and ensure her own existence, Dana has to keep Rufus alive long enough for his child to be born. But that's not easy. The story gives you no other choice but to watch as a child, innocent as any other, is corrupted by his family, culture, time, experiences, etc., and becomes a disgusting plantation owner.

Don't expect to read this in one sitting. Some books can be read that fast, and some people may be able to do that here. But the horror of the subject matter makes it very hard to read in one sitting. I had to take frequent breaks to process what had happened. But I really loved the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

kelseyr713's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Excellent adaptation of the novel. I enjoyed the art style and artistic choices made throughout.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcohol

adelinebal4's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Only reason I didn’t do 5 stars is because it’s an adaptation, which made me a little anxious that I was missing things/not getting the whole story… even though that’s not really rational!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence

peachani's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

bookishchef's review

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.5

That 0,5 star is because I struggled with the art style sometimes. 

This book had me ugly crying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Fire/Fire injury

rowanasm's review

challenging dark informative reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage