Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

48 reviews

vivelarevolution's review against another edition

dark informative tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is incredibly dark and heavy; I wouldn't advise reading it without first checking out the trigger warnings. That aside, Butler is an incredible writer with a transportive voice and engaging writing style. Everything that happens in this book feels almost real; she manages to make a history that is often taught in a remote and distant way feel visceral and present. Much of the message of the book seems to be a direct response to people who talk about enslaved people with apathy, pity, or derision. Butler examines the ways in which white people at the time talked themselves out of seeing Black peoples' humanity, and the complex and fucked up relationships that existed between Black and white people as a result.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Suicide, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Murder, Medical trauma, Rape, Slavery, Pregnancy, Racism, and Suicide attempt

alpaca_in_space's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-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

This book is an example of what makes Octavia Butler a great author. While it has darker themes, they don't feel added for the sake of shock value - instead they were clearly added to ensure the story was handling the implications of its premise. It is an incredible work of literature inviting readers into one of the darkest parts of the United States's past and to think about what lasting impacts it had into today.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Rape

At the beginning of the book we see that Dana is missing an arm due to the events of the book, as time passes it is revealed that it is because

it was phased into the wall when she was sent back to her time after she killed the man trying to assault her

.

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

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

salemander's review

5.0

i don’t think i have proper words for how this book feels. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, Gun violence, Trafficking, Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Confinement, Gore, and Child death

disguisedposer's review

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Violence, Self harm, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, and Rape

charliebites's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Death, Murder, Body horror, Death of parent, Police brutality, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Slavery, Physical abuse, Self harm, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Torture

Moderate: Chronic illness, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Classism, Child death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

scmiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Ableism, Body horror, Gore, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Drug use, Medical content, Pregnancy, Vomit, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Blood, and Drug abuse

jodean's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Infidelity, Violence, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Racism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Classism, Death, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking

Moderate: Medical trauma, Drug use, Ableism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Rape, Police brutality, Grief, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Infertility, Incest, and Miscarriage

kylie_umber's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Violence, Slavery, and Sexual assault

nminst's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-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? N/A

5.0

WOW! This historical fiction was heart-wrenchingly captivating. I couldn’t put the book down and pulled an all-nighter for this one. Reading about the inhumane treatment of slaves will never be something I take lightly. 

I believe if more people read the DIFFICULT stuff, meaning the ugly and vile behaviors of slave owners, more compassion could be shown. In addition, there would also be a better understanding of some challenges the black community still faces such as limited access to family lineage and black poverty.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Cursing, Racism, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Death