A review by thebakersbooks
The Kindred by Alechia Dow
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Kindred, set in the same world as author Alechia Dow’s debut but slightly earlier, has the same powerful emotional core and ultimately hopeful tone that made The Sound of Stars an immediate favorite of mine. This is YA sci-fi at its best: light to medium worldbuilding, a beautiful romance, and several (interstellar, of course) journeys of self-discovery.
Early parts of the book where the characters are new to Earth have strong ‘Star Trek: The Voyage Home’ vibes, which was so much fun. I actually preferred the parts of the book that took place on fictional planets, but watching the main characters discover everyday human practices and items was entertaining. Landing on Earth also allows the main characters to grapple with some of the flaws in their own home, delving into issues of economic disparity and colonialism.
And of course, no review of this book would be complete without discussing the central premise: Kindred. A concept designed to combat but not eliminate harsh class divides, the Kindred system pairs each individual with someone born around the same time. They’re mentally linked for the rest of their lives, able to see and feel everything their Kindred does. The two protagonists, Joy and Felix, are an incongruous Kindred pair, and much of the tension in the story stems from their vastly different social statuses and upbringings.
Above everything else, I loved watching a girl who’s always been told to make herself smaller and quieter get attention from hot guys, receive compliments on her appearance and personality from peers, and generally be affirmed in her existence just as she is. This book is undoubtedly a love letter to anyone who’s ever been told their skin’s too dark, their body’s too big, or their laugh is too loud, to paraphrase a quote from Joy.
I highly recommend this book to folks who enjoyed The Sound of Stars and anyone who likes sci-fi that’s innovative but doesn’t have a big learning curve due to super complex worldbuilding. You’ll probably enjoy the book most if you’re a fan of romance, but I’m not especially and I liked it anyway!
content warnings: fatphobia (external and internalized), body shaming and food shaming, colorism, strong themes of classism, themes of colonization, socio-cultural misogyny
Early parts of the book where the characters are new to Earth have strong ‘Star Trek: The Voyage Home’ vibes, which was so much fun. I actually preferred the parts of the book that took place on fictional planets, but watching the main characters discover everyday human practices and items was entertaining. Landing on Earth also allows the main characters to grapple with some of the flaws in their own home, delving into issues of economic disparity and colonialism.
And of course, no review of this book would be complete without discussing the central premise: Kindred. A concept designed to combat but not eliminate harsh class divides, the Kindred system pairs each individual with someone born around the same time. They’re mentally linked for the rest of their lives, able to see and feel everything their Kindred does. The two protagonists, Joy and Felix, are an incongruous Kindred pair, and much of the tension in the story stems from their vastly different social statuses and upbringings.
Above everything else, I loved watching a girl who’s always been told to make herself smaller and quieter get attention from hot guys, receive compliments on her appearance and personality from peers, and generally be affirmed in her existence just as she is. This book is undoubtedly a love letter to anyone who’s ever been told their skin’s too dark, their body’s too big, or their laugh is too loud, to paraphrase a quote from Joy.
I highly recommend this book to folks who enjoyed The Sound of Stars and anyone who likes sci-fi that’s innovative but doesn’t have a big learning curve due to super complex worldbuilding. You’ll probably enjoy the book most if you’re a fan of romance, but I’m not especially and I liked it anyway!
content warnings: fatphobia (external and internalized), body shaming and food shaming, colorism, strong themes of classism, themes of colonization, socio-cultural misogyny
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Classism and Colonisation