Authors: Damian Duffy and John Jennings
Pub Date: 10-Jan-2017
Rating: 4 Stars
I read Octavia Butler’s Kindred novel years ago and loved it. So I jumped at the chance to get my hands on an ARC of the graphic novel. The story is still very gripping; yet, as a graphic novel it lacked the depth that Octavia achieved in her original version. I know the graphics are supposed to make up for lack of descriptive prose – yet, even after I took into account that I read an uncorrected proof that is “a work-in-progress” – it still missed the mark. This is my only problem with the graphic version of the story. If you have not read Ms. Butler’s novel, or are a graphic novel lover, you will probably disagree.
I found the graphic novel to be very true to the original. The story is about Dana a young African-American woman who keeps getting pulled back in time to the South prior to the Civil War, a time when slavery abounds. Each time she is pulled back it is because Rufus, a distant relative (who is white), is in trouble. Each time she assists Rufus and yet Dana herself endures all kinds of atrocities at the hands of white salve owners.
Because of the subject matter and how it is presented this is not something I would recommend for a young reader. If you are one of those people who HAS to read the book before you see the movie, then you might want to consider reading Octavia Butler’s Kindred first. If not, then you decide which to read first. I think you will find both enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone who likes graphic novels and/or sci-fi.
As noted above, I received an ARC from ABRAMS books in return for my honest opinion.