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A review by ritabriar
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler
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.
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.
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