Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

116 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

redheadorganist's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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: Child death, Abandonment, Cursing, Racism, Violence, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Slavery, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Blood, and Suicide

Moderate: Rape and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual violence, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Fire/Fire injury

sabripolin's review

reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

Totally transported (pun not intended…) by the vivid imagery of Dana’s experience in two time periods, but mostly by the complex, conflicting emotions and ethical dilemmas she encounters and how to manage situations in a period-appropriate manner. 

Minus points (?) for all characters’ lack of FREAKING OUT and Dana’s seemingly emotionless disposition all throughout. We also don’t really get a “why” to why this all happened or what triggered her first transportation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Ableism, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content

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

megshrews's review

dark reflective tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Slavery, Racism, Suicide, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

claraofthewood's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Child death, Pregnancy, Rape, Racism, Body horror, Racial slurs, Blood, Child abuse, Slavery, and Sexual assault

lbyars99's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Grief, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Self harm, Vomit, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death

sannesbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is an amazing read, but this is definitely not a light read! It basically contains all the trigger warnings you can think of, so be aware of that starting this book.

Amazing writing, and a difficult, dark, thought-provoking story to read. This story is about a black woman with modern values and norms time travelling to a time of slavery in the South of America. Even though this has the sci-fi/fantasy element of time tracelling, I wouldn't consider this much as a sci-fi book. This book leans more towards historical/literary fiction. A book exploring history, humanity, society, intereacial realationships, power dynamics, racsim, sexism and trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Torture, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Racism, Rape, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, Slavery, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Murder

figsofpeach'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Slavery, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Child death, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

dogearedbooks's review

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy