#Diverseathon2021: Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaption
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaption
Adaptor: Damian Duffy
Illustrator: John Jennings
Published: January 10, 2017
252 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: April 15-17, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
I lost an arm on my last trip home.
Home is a new house with a loving husband in 1970s California that suddenly transformed in to the frightening world of the antebellum South.
Dana, a young black writer, can’t explain how she is transported across time and space to a plantation in Maryland. But she does quickly understand why: to deal with the troubles of Rufus, a conflicted white slaveholder–and her progenitor.
Her survival, her very existence, depends on it.
This searing graphic-novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s science fiction classic is a powerfully moving, unflinching look at the violent disturbing effects of slavery on the people it chained together, both black and white–and made kindred in the deepest sense of the word.
Jessica’s Review:
As you are aware, I previously read Kindred and loved it and read it again this month for #Diverseathon. I bought the graphic novel online from Book Outlet for just a few dollars, so with having Kindred fresh in my mind, I decided to read the graphic novel.
This graphic novel is an adaption and covers the whole story, some in shorter sections than the novel. I’m not going to talk about the story of Kindred, that review has been previously posted, I am going to to talk about the graphic novel. The illustrations do not enhance the story, they take away from it. I admittedly have not read many graphic novels, but this one disappoints. There is just something missing from the artwork, but really nothing could live up to Butler’s original novel. The artwork is just not pleasant for me to look at, and Dana just does not look feminine. The novel does capture the brutality of the antebellum world towards African Americans. The biggest thing for me with this graphic novel was when we reach the climax and then we get just one panel and then the epilogue! In my opinion a whole important section was reduced to just one panel!
I have included some pictures that show what the art work looks like. I gave the graphic novel 3 stars, which averages out the 5 star review of the story with the 2 star poor artwork.
The graphic novel is divided up into the same chapters at the novel. There were a few things I did like about the graphic novel: There is an introduction to the novel and Butler herself, a Q& A with the adaptor and illustrator, and notes on their process of the progression with the panel artwork. There is also a teacher’s guide.
I recommend you to read the novel version of Kindred and reader beware if you choose to read the graphic novel.
#Diverseathon Information:
April’s Host: Suleika at All About Books Divas
She will host at Instagram and Facebook.
For full details on this year long readathon, please click here.
And don’t forget about the awesome GRAND PRIZE at the end of the year. Click the link here for that information.
Suleika is having a US only giveaway: She is giving away a copy of Spy in the Struggle by Aya de Leon That information is here.