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Kindred
The first time I meet an angel, it is Raphael and I am eighteen.
Miriam is an unassuming college freshman stuck on campus after her spring break plans fall through. She's not a religious girl--when pressed she admits reluctantly to believing in a higher power. Truth be told, she's about as comfortable speaking about her faith as she is about her love life, which is to say, not at all. And then the archangel Raphael pays Miriam a visit, and she finds herself on a desperate mission to save two of her contemporaries. To top it all off, her twin brother, Mo, has also had a visitation, but from the opposite end of the good-evil spectrum, which leaves Miriam to wonder--has she been blessed and her brother cursed or vice versa? And what is the real purpose behind her mission?
Miriam is an unassuming college freshman stuck on campus after her spring break plans fall through. She's not a religious girl--when pressed she admits reluctantly to believing in a higher power. Truth be told, she's about as comfortable speaking about her faith as she is about her love life, which is to say, not at all. And then the archangel Raphael pays Miriam a visit, and she finds herself on a desperate mission to save two of her contemporaries. To top it all off, her twin brother, Mo, has also had a visitation, but from the opposite end of the good-evil spectrum, which leaves Miriam to wonder--has she been blessed and her brother cursed or vice versa? And what is the real purpose behind her mission?
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
4 people are currently reading
944 people want to read
About the author
Tammar Stein
14 books28 followersTammar Stein is the award-winning author of the YA novel, Light Years, a Virginia Reader's Choice book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2006. Her second novel, High Dive, was nominated for an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2009. Kindred, her third novel and the first in a series, was nominated for Teen Choice Best Book Award and received a starred review on Publishers Weekly. Spoils, a companion to Kindred, will be released on December, 2013. Debts, free e-novella will be released in the Fall, 2013.
She recently moved to Virginia where she lives with her family and bilingual dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 30, 2011
This book felt like when you rev up a car before taking off, only the car never takes off. You know what I mean?
And I truly feel like I might be missing something because the reviews on Amazon are so positive that I expected to be really engaged. I've found angels and nephilim to be fascinating since I was a child and, from the summary, I guess my expectations were different than what the story ended up being.
Miriam basically drops out of college when she fails to save a fellow student from harm after the Archangel Gabriel told her to. This visit is so stunning and terrifying Miriam passes out. Herein begins extensive discussion of Miriam's health problems and troublesome constitution which really kind of got tedious for me. It read like it might have been a metaphor for her severely troubled spirit and state of mind but, good lord, woman. I'm not sure having to read how Miriam had the trots every other page moved the plot forward. So to speak.
Then the plot itself kind of meandered down different roads including Miriam's crisis of faith, or lack thereof, the relationship with her brother Mo, who has apparently been enticed into the DARK SIDE like she's been visited by the 'good guys', and her flirtation and relationship with sexy tattoo artist guy, the plot point I found most intriguing in the whole book because who doesn't get the allure of the Bad Boy?
I just found myself kind of going '....okay...' a lot. Miriam quits school because an angel visited her and she didn't save the girl! '...okay...' Miriam becomes a cub reporter with fantastic hours and can choose her own stories! '...okay...' Miriam tries to seduce sexy tattoo guy after it is entirely inferred that she is a virgin and has had almost no experience with men!'...okay...' Miriam's brother visits her, entices away the intern the angels also told her to save, and the two boys work on dark comic book with Troubling Content.'...okay...' You know, I need a nap.
Much is made in other reviews about the DARK PRESENCE of the angels and how they are not cherubic but TERRIFYING AND DARK and....okay. I didn't really...GET...that a lot...from the writing. Everything seemed so nebulous and hinted at but not spelled out and I'm not a moron, I get subtlety. I just don't get how the angels in the story are dark and terrifying. The writing seemed kind of plodding in relation to the story, as well.
Stein's past work has gotten great reviews, so perhaps the style of the book just wasn't a good fit for me.
And I truly feel like I might be missing something because the reviews on Amazon are so positive that I expected to be really engaged. I've found angels and nephilim to be fascinating since I was a child and, from the summary, I guess my expectations were different than what the story ended up being.
Miriam basically drops out of college when she fails to save a fellow student from harm after the Archangel Gabriel told her to. This visit is so stunning and terrifying Miriam passes out. Herein begins extensive discussion of Miriam's health problems and troublesome constitution which really kind of got tedious for me. It read like it might have been a metaphor for her severely troubled spirit and state of mind but, good lord, woman. I'm not sure having to read how Miriam had the trots every other page moved the plot forward. So to speak.
Then the plot itself kind of meandered down different roads including Miriam's crisis of faith, or lack thereof, the relationship with her brother Mo, who has apparently been enticed into the DARK SIDE like she's been visited by the 'good guys', and her flirtation and relationship with sexy tattoo artist guy, the plot point I found most intriguing in the whole book because who doesn't get the allure of the Bad Boy?
I just found myself kind of going '....okay...' a lot. Miriam quits school because an angel visited her and she didn't save the girl! '...okay...' Miriam becomes a cub reporter with fantastic hours and can choose her own stories! '...okay...' Miriam tries to seduce sexy tattoo guy after it is entirely inferred that she is a virgin and has had almost no experience with men!'...okay...' Miriam's brother visits her, entices away the intern the angels also told her to save, and the two boys work on dark comic book with Troubling Content.'...okay...' You know, I need a nap.
Much is made in other reviews about the DARK PRESENCE of the angels and how they are not cherubic but TERRIFYING AND DARK and....okay. I didn't really...GET...that a lot...from the writing. Everything seemed so nebulous and hinted at but not spelled out and I'm not a moron, I get subtlety. I just don't get how the angels in the story are dark and terrifying. The writing seemed kind of plodding in relation to the story, as well.
Stein's past work has gotten great reviews, so perhaps the style of the book just wasn't a good fit for me.
March 6, 2011
Actionless Angel
* I read this ARC via Star Book Tours.
This book gets a meh 2 gnomes out of 5 gnomes because it was not even half as exciting as the description made it sound, I actually fell asleep while reading this book on two separate occasions. In this book you find out way too much about the main character's gastrointestinal problems. I don't know about anybody else but when the word diarrhea is mentioned more then once in a book it doesn't really encourage me to read more.
The premise of the book has so much potential but there's not enough actually happens. The tag line on the front of the book, "Twins. Best friends. Enemies. Good and evil have never been so close." Now that's an awesome tag line and made me think well all heck is about to break loose in this story but nope not so much.
The main character, Miriam seems like a normal college student and then she gets visited by an angel. It's not a peaceful visit either, it literally scares the pee out of her. From this vision she figures out that she's supposed to protect someone then this mission ends up not going as planned.
Plus just like the tagline says her twin brother Mo also gets a visit but he has a lot more fun during his visit. I kind of wish that Mo was the narrator for the book instead of Miriam because he seems to be a lot more interesting. His end of the conflict seems to have more going on too.
Miriam ends up in a small town still on her mission. Her fear of what to do next and medical problems add to her discomfort. The story gets interesting at points but it's a tad too preachy for my tastes.
My biggest problem though is that she knows what her brother is doing/who he's communicating with. I'm pretty sure that if a normal person heard that someone that they love is making a deal with the devil that they are going to cause more of a commotion about it then Miriam ever does.
The ending is rather blah but does leave room for a sequel. The events leading up to the ending do make you wonder who will succeed in the end.
Overall this book is an interesting look at some aspects of religion and great for anyone who likes low key action.
* I read this ARC via Star Book Tours.
This book gets a meh 2 gnomes out of 5 gnomes because it was not even half as exciting as the description made it sound, I actually fell asleep while reading this book on two separate occasions. In this book you find out way too much about the main character's gastrointestinal problems. I don't know about anybody else but when the word diarrhea is mentioned more then once in a book it doesn't really encourage me to read more.
The premise of the book has so much potential but there's not enough actually happens. The tag line on the front of the book, "Twins. Best friends. Enemies. Good and evil have never been so close." Now that's an awesome tag line and made me think well all heck is about to break loose in this story but nope not so much.
The main character, Miriam seems like a normal college student and then she gets visited by an angel. It's not a peaceful visit either, it literally scares the pee out of her. From this vision she figures out that she's supposed to protect someone then this mission ends up not going as planned.
Plus just like the tagline says her twin brother Mo also gets a visit but he has a lot more fun during his visit. I kind of wish that Mo was the narrator for the book instead of Miriam because he seems to be a lot more interesting. His end of the conflict seems to have more going on too.
Miriam ends up in a small town still on her mission. Her fear of what to do next and medical problems add to her discomfort. The story gets interesting at points but it's a tad too preachy for my tastes.
My biggest problem though is that she knows what her brother is doing/who he's communicating with. I'm pretty sure that if a normal person heard that someone that they love is making a deal with the devil that they are going to cause more of a commotion about it then Miriam ever does.
The ending is rather blah but does leave room for a sequel. The events leading up to the ending do make you wonder who will succeed in the end.
Overall this book is an interesting look at some aspects of religion and great for anyone who likes low key action.
February 20, 2011
The first thing I read when I have a book I know nothing about is the back cover. Well I read the back summary for this one and saw questions. Usually by the time I finish reading a book, I know the answer to those questions. Not in this one. I still have those same questions.
Miriam is approached by Raphael and is given a mission to save two people. Well she kinda sucks at it. Suddenly she begins to have bowel movements frequently and is getting pretty sick. By the end of the book I have no idea what's the deal with her health. Is she suddenly cured? Is she going to die?
This was also very religious and filled with scriptures that didn't even help her complete her missions. Another issue I had was I figured Raphael would be a big part of his book but nope. Miriam's love interest was pretty much the only thing that made a bit of sense, except how she met him. Normally she's pretty quiet and innocent. With him she suddenly becomes a sex kitten that's flirty and oozing sexuality. Strange. Miriam's brother Mo is another mystery to me. So apparently he's working for "the other side" but what happens with that?? I have no idea. He's staying out late, he has money but no job. I still don't know how.
It just seemed like the author just decided that the book should just end so all of the issues we'd been reading about will suddenly be swept underneath a rug never to be spoken of again. I like to feel some sense of closure when I close a book. This actually confused me even more. This was definitely not the best "angel" book I've read. It was jumpy and felt unfinished.
Miriam is approached by Raphael and is given a mission to save two people. Well she kinda sucks at it. Suddenly she begins to have bowel movements frequently and is getting pretty sick. By the end of the book I have no idea what's the deal with her health. Is she suddenly cured? Is she going to die?
This was also very religious and filled with scriptures that didn't even help her complete her missions. Another issue I had was I figured Raphael would be a big part of his book but nope. Miriam's love interest was pretty much the only thing that made a bit of sense, except how she met him. Normally she's pretty quiet and innocent. With him she suddenly becomes a sex kitten that's flirty and oozing sexuality. Strange. Miriam's brother Mo is another mystery to me. So apparently he's working for "the other side" but what happens with that?? I have no idea. He's staying out late, he has money but no job. I still don't know how.
It just seemed like the author just decided that the book should just end so all of the issues we'd been reading about will suddenly be swept underneath a rug never to be spoken of again. I like to feel some sense of closure when I close a book. This actually confused me even more. This was definitely not the best "angel" book I've read. It was jumpy and felt unfinished.
March 14, 2013
My third novel, Kindred, came about in a very unusual way. I was driving in the car and listening to the radio when the Black Crows song, Addiction, came on. I'd heard this song before, of course, but for some reason on that day, the lyrics stayed and haunted me long after the song ended. Says she talks to angels, says they call her out by her name.
For two days, that line played on endless repeat in my head until finally, to make it stop, I wrote a short story about a young woman named Miriam whom the angels call out. When I finished the story, instead of feeling better, I felt like I'd only started. That short story grew up to be Kindred.
Miriam's relationship with her twin brother Mo is the most complicated, realistic relationship I have ever portrayed in my novels. And tattoo artist Emmett just might be the sexiest of all my leads.
I hope you enjoy it!
For two days, that line played on endless repeat in my head until finally, to make it stop, I wrote a short story about a young woman named Miriam whom the angels call out. When I finished the story, instead of feeling better, I felt like I'd only started. That short story grew up to be Kindred.
Miriam's relationship with her twin brother Mo is the most complicated, realistic relationship I have ever portrayed in my novels. And tattoo artist Emmett just might be the sexiest of all my leads.
I hope you enjoy it!
June 14, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: This was an interesting YA contemporary read with a heavy religious presence. The pacing was pretty slow, but it had a good message.
Opening Sentence: The first time I meet an angel, it is Raphael and I am eighteen.
The Review:
Miriam is 18 and has just recently started her freshman year of college when she sees an angel for the first time. She is sent on a mission to help save one of her fellow students, but not everything goes the way she planned. After a terrible accident Miriam decides to leave school for a while and she takes a job at a paper in the small town of Hamilton, Tennessee. While in Hamilton, she meets a lot of new people and she grapples with what role God really plays in our lives. She is given another mission and she is determined to see this one through.
Miriam has a twin brother, Mo, and he has also been visited by a higher power. Mo’s visitor is from the opposite end of the good-evil spectrum and he seems to be all too pleased to help. As children Mo and Miriam were always very close. Mo was always the more ambitious one that liked to test the boundaries. As Miriam watches her brother flirt with danger Miriam starts to wonder what her real mission is.
Miriam is our heroine in this story and to be honest, she is a fairly forgettable character. There is really nothing that sticks out about her that makes her unique or really interesting. For most of the book she is really confused about what is going on in her life and she is bitter about it. She really cares about her family and she tries to do what she thinks God would want her to do. I wouldn’t say that I disliked Miriam, but I didn’t really like her all that much either.
Emmett was my favorite part of the book. He is a serious boy that runs a tattoo parlor in Hamilton. He has tattoos all over his body and a shaved head. Miriam finds him interesting and surprisingly easy to talk to. He is steady and really sweet to Miriam, while she is going through her problems. He is willing to listen to her when she needs someone to talk to and he tries to be a comfort to her. The moments with them together are sweet and Emmett just melted my heart.
This book was just an ok read for me. I was expecting something totally different when I read the synopsis. I thought that it would be more of a paranormal read, but instead it is actually more of a religious contemporary book. The pacing was really slow for me and for most of the book it felt like nothing was really happening. My favorite part was the romance, but it was a very small part of the book. The book covers some serious religious topics and the way they were portrayed just didn’t quite work for me. Kindred did have a good ending message, but the story just had a lot of flaws. I would recommend this to anyone that likes YA contemporary books with a heavy religious presence.
Notable Scene:
“I guess crosses are pretty popular around here,” I say, walking closer to him and leaning a hip against an adjacent black vinyl chair. I feel a strange pull toward him; there’s something elemental about him that is fascinating. Hamilton is charming and welcoming, but there is no denying that people like to live on the surface here. The pleasant, happy surface. The tattoo artist radiates something deeper and darker. Something true.
“Yeah.”
“Do you have one?”
He looks up for a second. He has dark eyes almost black. “No.”
“You don’t need to look so shocked,” I say, though it seems there’s little that would shock him.
He snorts.
FTC Advisory: Knopf Books for Young Readers/Random House provided me with a copy of Kindred. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: This was an interesting YA contemporary read with a heavy religious presence. The pacing was pretty slow, but it had a good message.
Opening Sentence: The first time I meet an angel, it is Raphael and I am eighteen.
The Review:
Miriam is 18 and has just recently started her freshman year of college when she sees an angel for the first time. She is sent on a mission to help save one of her fellow students, but not everything goes the way she planned. After a terrible accident Miriam decides to leave school for a while and she takes a job at a paper in the small town of Hamilton, Tennessee. While in Hamilton, she meets a lot of new people and she grapples with what role God really plays in our lives. She is given another mission and she is determined to see this one through.
Miriam has a twin brother, Mo, and he has also been visited by a higher power. Mo’s visitor is from the opposite end of the good-evil spectrum and he seems to be all too pleased to help. As children Mo and Miriam were always very close. Mo was always the more ambitious one that liked to test the boundaries. As Miriam watches her brother flirt with danger Miriam starts to wonder what her real mission is.
Miriam is our heroine in this story and to be honest, she is a fairly forgettable character. There is really nothing that sticks out about her that makes her unique or really interesting. For most of the book she is really confused about what is going on in her life and she is bitter about it. She really cares about her family and she tries to do what she thinks God would want her to do. I wouldn’t say that I disliked Miriam, but I didn’t really like her all that much either.
Emmett was my favorite part of the book. He is a serious boy that runs a tattoo parlor in Hamilton. He has tattoos all over his body and a shaved head. Miriam finds him interesting and surprisingly easy to talk to. He is steady and really sweet to Miriam, while she is going through her problems. He is willing to listen to her when she needs someone to talk to and he tries to be a comfort to her. The moments with them together are sweet and Emmett just melted my heart.
This book was just an ok read for me. I was expecting something totally different when I read the synopsis. I thought that it would be more of a paranormal read, but instead it is actually more of a religious contemporary book. The pacing was really slow for me and for most of the book it felt like nothing was really happening. My favorite part was the romance, but it was a very small part of the book. The book covers some serious religious topics and the way they were portrayed just didn’t quite work for me. Kindred did have a good ending message, but the story just had a lot of flaws. I would recommend this to anyone that likes YA contemporary books with a heavy religious presence.
Notable Scene:
“I guess crosses are pretty popular around here,” I say, walking closer to him and leaning a hip against an adjacent black vinyl chair. I feel a strange pull toward him; there’s something elemental about him that is fascinating. Hamilton is charming and welcoming, but there is no denying that people like to live on the surface here. The pleasant, happy surface. The tattoo artist radiates something deeper and darker. Something true.
“Yeah.”
“Do you have one?”
He looks up for a second. He has dark eyes almost black. “No.”
“You don’t need to look so shocked,” I say, though it seems there’s little that would shock him.
He snorts.
FTC Advisory: Knopf Books for Young Readers/Random House provided me with a copy of Kindred. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
May 30, 2011
KINDRED, by Tammar Stein is an extremely engrossing read. Even when the story seems to be moving slowly, there is an almost palpable tension urging you onward. It is a hard book to put down.
About the book:
Nineteen-year-old Miriam was raised Jewish (well, mostly Jewish) by divorced parents (a rabbi and an x-Catholic nun)-- She is nearing the end of her freshman year of college when she receives a disturbing visit from the archangel Raphael; questioning her own sanity, she botches the mission given. Miriam's life begins a downward spiral which she, at first, interprets as the punishment of God.
Meanwhile, her twin brother Mo is engaged for supernatural service... by the devil. Now Miriam is faced with acknowledging the reality of her own spiritual visit -- and the implications of her brother's similar and opposite visit... and possible mission.
In her second vision, Miriam sees the angels as haughty, disapproving, even insulting -- and it is revealed to her that a teenagers life and freedom are on the line. Miriam doesn't know what to do or how to save this boy; her health is failing and fears failure and further punishment, and yet... at the end of her vision she hears a sweet voice of comfort she assumes is God Himself, assuring her of His protection.
Miriam feels responsible for saving this boy and preventing the catastrophe she saw in her vision. At the same time, she knows her beloved Twin is on a dark path. When the paths of light and dark meet, Miriam finds that even those things she saw as punishments can be used for good -- and even though she may not be able to save everyone, she has to give it a shot.
My take on it:
Stein does an exceptional job describing how frightening an angelic visit could be. I'm reminded that, in the Bible, angelic appearances are usually followed by the words, "Fear not." (or something similar.)and Mirium's experiences are very clearly described as petrifying. While they seem Biblically accurate in their fear-factorism, Miriam's personal interpretation of angelic facial expressions on Jacob's Ladder (and their haughty,resentful, and caustic words) however, remind me more of the fallen angel's (i.o.w."demon") point of view in Tosca Lee's DEMON: A MEMOIR.
There is no easy fix, pretty bow ending on this tale of spiritual warfare, told from a Jewish teen's point of view. But the ending is satisfying and thought provoking -- and the reader is left with a great appreciation for this well-told tale.
As a warning, there is a mild allusion to a sex scene (that doesn't happen, thank you Ms. Stein!), some strong language (Mo uses the F-bomb fairly casually),and, although the New Testament is referenced briefly (and once, quite beautifully) throughout the novel, the Old Testament is the key Biblical text reference used in this story.
As a Christian suspending my disbelief, I longed to give Miriam a better sword with which to fight the enemy; as a reader, I was enthralled with this well-written, engaging tale.
About the book:
Nineteen-year-old Miriam was raised Jewish (well, mostly Jewish) by divorced parents (a rabbi and an x-Catholic nun)-- She is nearing the end of her freshman year of college when she receives a disturbing visit from the archangel Raphael; questioning her own sanity, she botches the mission given. Miriam's life begins a downward spiral which she, at first, interprets as the punishment of God.
Meanwhile, her twin brother Mo is engaged for supernatural service... by the devil. Now Miriam is faced with acknowledging the reality of her own spiritual visit -- and the implications of her brother's similar and opposite visit... and possible mission.
In her second vision, Miriam sees the angels as haughty, disapproving, even insulting -- and it is revealed to her that a teenagers life and freedom are on the line. Miriam doesn't know what to do or how to save this boy; her health is failing and fears failure and further punishment, and yet... at the end of her vision she hears a sweet voice of comfort she assumes is God Himself, assuring her of His protection.
Miriam feels responsible for saving this boy and preventing the catastrophe she saw in her vision. At the same time, she knows her beloved Twin is on a dark path. When the paths of light and dark meet, Miriam finds that even those things she saw as punishments can be used for good -- and even though she may not be able to save everyone, she has to give it a shot.
My take on it:
Stein does an exceptional job describing how frightening an angelic visit could be. I'm reminded that, in the Bible, angelic appearances are usually followed by the words, "Fear not." (or something similar.)and Mirium's experiences are very clearly described as petrifying. While they seem Biblically accurate in their fear-factorism, Miriam's personal interpretation of angelic facial expressions on Jacob's Ladder (and their haughty,resentful, and caustic words) however, remind me more of the fallen angel's (i.o.w."demon") point of view in Tosca Lee's DEMON: A MEMOIR.
There is no easy fix, pretty bow ending on this tale of spiritual warfare, told from a Jewish teen's point of view. But the ending is satisfying and thought provoking -- and the reader is left with a great appreciation for this well-told tale.
As a warning, there is a mild allusion to a sex scene (that doesn't happen, thank you Ms. Stein!), some strong language (Mo uses the F-bomb fairly casually),and, although the New Testament is referenced briefly (and once, quite beautifully) throughout the novel, the Old Testament is the key Biblical text reference used in this story.
As a Christian suspending my disbelief, I longed to give Miriam a better sword with which to fight the enemy; as a reader, I was enthralled with this well-written, engaging tale.
February 3, 2011
Miriam, a college freshman, is given a task by the terrifying archangel Raphael. Thanks to her background-her father is a rabbi and her mother a former nun-she is able to translate the assignment given to her in Hebrew. Unfortunatly she garbles the task. Even worse, she doscovers that her twin brother, Moses (known as Mo) has received a task from the opposite end of the good-evil spectrum, and he passed with flying colors.
That begins this book, where religion and familial love battle in an ordinary small town. The weight of her failure takes its toll on Miriam, and she vows to suddeed when she receives a second and more difficult task. She has to, because this time failure could cost her own life. Unfortunatly Mo also has a second assignment, one that puts the siblings on a collision course.
This book is a change from the fallen angel or angel-falls-in-love-with-his-human-charge type of romance I've seen too much of. In fact, Miriam has the definite feeling Raphael does not like her. While Mo becomes enamored with the devil, she falls for the shaved headed owner of the local tattoo parlor. The book is also a study of good and evil; the wrath of God, the Devil's punishment and even blind chance all play roles in this book. Just as there are no easy answers in life, there are no real answers in this book, only questions. I hope there will be a sequel, because I want to know what happens to Miriam and Mo next.
That begins this book, where religion and familial love battle in an ordinary small town. The weight of her failure takes its toll on Miriam, and she vows to suddeed when she receives a second and more difficult task. She has to, because this time failure could cost her own life. Unfortunatly Mo also has a second assignment, one that puts the siblings on a collision course.
This book is a change from the fallen angel or angel-falls-in-love-with-his-human-charge type of romance I've seen too much of. In fact, Miriam has the definite feeling Raphael does not like her. While Mo becomes enamored with the devil, she falls for the shaved headed owner of the local tattoo parlor. The book is also a study of good and evil; the wrath of God, the Devil's punishment and even blind chance all play roles in this book. Just as there are no easy answers in life, there are no real answers in this book, only questions. I hope there will be a sequel, because I want to know what happens to Miriam and Mo next.
September 5, 2011
I'm surprised at the middling to bad reviews of this, and I'm guessing it's because it's not fantasy enough to be real fantasy. Stein is a lovely writer and I found myself pulled through the story. I guess now that I think about it, there were some loose ends and things that didn't quite make sense. But Oh, well, I enjoyed this read quite a bit.
May 22, 2017
I thought that Kindred was an alright read.
I felt that it started off really well, I found myself interested from the get go, but after that things were much more touch and go for me. While I never got bored enough to want to stop I felt that some things were a little "meh" for lack of better words. I just felt that after the initial start things didn't pick up as much as I thought and hoped they were.
I felt that it started off really well, I found myself interested from the get go, but after that things were much more touch and go for me. While I never got bored enough to want to stop I felt that some things were a little "meh" for lack of better words. I just felt that after the initial start things didn't pick up as much as I thought and hoped they were.
July 19, 2018
This books pits good against evil, twin against twin, in a race to save or salvage or restore those whose actions have made them fall from grace. Excellent tale of courage, resourcefulness, and yes even young love, as Miriam tries to understand the tasks she has been given and save those who are put in her path from the evil that tracks them.
The only downside I have is a warning to other potential readers - this book ends in a cliffhanger which screams SEQUEL!
The only downside I have is a warning to other potential readers - this book ends in a cliffhanger which screams SEQUEL!
December 15, 2022
I read this book for the 52 books in 52 weeks reading challenge. I used the 2019 reading challenge prompts read a book with a one word title. To be honest, it kindof disturbed me a little bit. I haven't stopped thinking about it since i read it. It's a good story line, well thought out plot, but yet something wasn't right...spoiler alert....the ending is definitly not wrapped up the way i would have liked it to be.
November 14, 2019
The book was really good and I liked how the author wrote the characters relationship with God. I didn't like how it ended but it wasn't too bad. The writing for the characters is really good. The internal struggles of the main characters seemed realistic.
October 21, 2020
Good story for thinking about good versus evil and the internal struggle of humans with guilt.
September 3, 2022
Started out interesting but quickly became weirdly religious dull slow and a social message about Chrones disease and bullying
September 17, 2011
Miriam is a girl who has always been uncomfortable with talking about religion. She has always assumed that there probably is a God, but He’s far away and certainly not paying any attention. Miriam’s twin brother, Moses, is her best friend. As twins go - they are very close, but Miriam has always been somewhat of the golden girl in their parents’ eyes, whereas Moses was always a bit like a problem child - always screeching when things didn’t go his way.
But this time the screeching is about to come from Miriam. It’s spring break at school and there are only a few people left in the dorms - Miriam is one of them. Her plans fell through and she finds herself in an extremely quiet building where she can actually hear the heat registers and the groans of the old walls. What she doesn’t expect is being witness to an ear-splitting shriek, a noise so loud that it actually splits apart her dorm wall and allows a freezing cold, glacier-blue light to permeate her room. From the frightening light comes a voice in Ancient Hebrew and then…just like that…everything disappears.
Being half Jewish on her father’s side, Miriam flees to the all-powerful Google and other resources and finds out that the “light” referred to itself as the archangel Raphael, and that “Tabitha” must evacuate before the Sabbath. Miriam has no idea what’s going on - she tries to remember her parents’ words growing up. Although they are now divorced, Mom and Dad are both professors of theology: Dad, Jewish - Mom, Catholic - yet they are truly the smartest beings Miriam has ever met when it comes to religion.
Miriam begins searching the school, coming across a young, happy girl by the name of Tabitha. That evening, before sundown, Miriam struggles with the young girl, but finally picks her up physically and evacuates her from the dorm…right before the building explodes and the people inside are engulfed in flames. Not a very god-like thing to do. Even though the two left inside the building were huge sinners, Miriam finds it odd that the Lord would call for an attack on some college kids instead of “fixing” the wars and hideousness that’s going on all over the country.
Along comes her brother, Moses. Moses comes visiting and tells Miriam a huge secret that he wants only his twin to hear about. It seems Mo was “visited’ one night by the powerful being who explained everything to him and asked him to do a couple of errands. Mo is so excited. He not only has been chosen but he will also reap serious rewards for doing as he’s told and joining the club. Miriam has trouble exhaling when her brother explains to her that the being that came into HIS life as nothing to do with halos; he joined forces with the actual devil.
With all this information pressing on her Miriam, she soon finds herself dropping out of college, and heading to a small town called Hamilton, TN, where she meets new people, makes new friends, and lands a job with their newspaper. She’s still extremely nervous that this is Divine Intervention and proceeds to get ill - her nerves constantly at war with her so-called visions. While in town, she not only meets a tattoo-artist named Emmett, who is far more than his surface “label” says he is, but she also runs into a young boy by the name of Jason who is seriously messed-up and is about to be taken under her brother’s wing. Her evil brother? Miriam can barely stand the thought and has no idea what the future is going to bring either of them.
This is a fascinating look at religion, the icons that everyone knows so little about, and the way that good and evil are presented to the reader are intricate and well-thought-out. The author has done a wonderful job of making her characters realistic and their situation something you’ll want to read about in this book, and many more sequels to come. I love the point that the author makes that angels are “seen” as loving creatures guiding us through life, yet they are a little high-brow and demanding in this story. There is a very thin line between good and evil - and following what “God” asks you to do might not end in a pretty, angelic picture. Don't believe me? Just ask Joan of Arc.
But this time the screeching is about to come from Miriam. It’s spring break at school and there are only a few people left in the dorms - Miriam is one of them. Her plans fell through and she finds herself in an extremely quiet building where she can actually hear the heat registers and the groans of the old walls. What she doesn’t expect is being witness to an ear-splitting shriek, a noise so loud that it actually splits apart her dorm wall and allows a freezing cold, glacier-blue light to permeate her room. From the frightening light comes a voice in Ancient Hebrew and then…just like that…everything disappears.
Being half Jewish on her father’s side, Miriam flees to the all-powerful Google and other resources and finds out that the “light” referred to itself as the archangel Raphael, and that “Tabitha” must evacuate before the Sabbath. Miriam has no idea what’s going on - she tries to remember her parents’ words growing up. Although they are now divorced, Mom and Dad are both professors of theology: Dad, Jewish - Mom, Catholic - yet they are truly the smartest beings Miriam has ever met when it comes to religion.
Miriam begins searching the school, coming across a young, happy girl by the name of Tabitha. That evening, before sundown, Miriam struggles with the young girl, but finally picks her up physically and evacuates her from the dorm…right before the building explodes and the people inside are engulfed in flames. Not a very god-like thing to do. Even though the two left inside the building were huge sinners, Miriam finds it odd that the Lord would call for an attack on some college kids instead of “fixing” the wars and hideousness that’s going on all over the country.
Along comes her brother, Moses. Moses comes visiting and tells Miriam a huge secret that he wants only his twin to hear about. It seems Mo was “visited’ one night by the powerful being who explained everything to him and asked him to do a couple of errands. Mo is so excited. He not only has been chosen but he will also reap serious rewards for doing as he’s told and joining the club. Miriam has trouble exhaling when her brother explains to her that the being that came into HIS life as nothing to do with halos; he joined forces with the actual devil.
With all this information pressing on her Miriam, she soon finds herself dropping out of college, and heading to a small town called Hamilton, TN, where she meets new people, makes new friends, and lands a job with their newspaper. She’s still extremely nervous that this is Divine Intervention and proceeds to get ill - her nerves constantly at war with her so-called visions. While in town, she not only meets a tattoo-artist named Emmett, who is far more than his surface “label” says he is, but she also runs into a young boy by the name of Jason who is seriously messed-up and is about to be taken under her brother’s wing. Her evil brother? Miriam can barely stand the thought and has no idea what the future is going to bring either of them.
This is a fascinating look at religion, the icons that everyone knows so little about, and the way that good and evil are presented to the reader are intricate and well-thought-out. The author has done a wonderful job of making her characters realistic and their situation something you’ll want to read about in this book, and many more sequels to come. I love the point that the author makes that angels are “seen” as loving creatures guiding us through life, yet they are a little high-brow and demanding in this story. There is a very thin line between good and evil - and following what “God” asks you to do might not end in a pretty, angelic picture. Don't believe me? Just ask Joan of Arc.
March 10, 2017
OK, I read this book but I think it's worth 2.5 stars. The writing and plot are great, but the author just leaves you hanging at the end. Does Miriam's illness come under control? What happens with Mo and Jason? This is supposedly the start of a series, but the next book Spoils is about a different family. There is an e-novella which connect the two, but I do not like to read e-books and I'm ticked off that I have to do so to see if there is any conclusion given to Miriam's situation.
February 16, 2011
Why I read this: Looked like an interesting read and I've yet to really fall in love with a book involving angels.
Plot: A good versus evil plot that finally has our lead falling for someone of her own species. I have to say the beginning of the book made me realize this wasn't going to be your average paranormal book (finally!). When Miriam receives a visit from the angel the first time, it's painful and the holy power of God literally makes her pee her pants. No joke. Finally, someone who has captured the real power of angels and how their presence really is stunning.
I like the way that we learn about Miriam. With little pieces here and there and really seeing her interact with the world around her. She does find a romantic interest and I love the real way they interact with each other. It's not all love at first sight and instant kisses. There's dates, there's getting to know each other a little bit at a time and there's not instant commitment to die for one another.
But back to the plot, Miriam becomes torn between her mission and the fact that her twin may be on the other side. She's only human and tries her best to accomplish her mission in the ways that she can. Miriam is not wonder woman, she can't magically fix things, but she uses what she has to accomplish the task.
There were parts in this book that made me cry, I'll be honest, especially towards the end. There's a ton of emotion in what is going on throughout the novel and it truly is a realistic way of threading the good vs. evil battle into the human world.
Characters: I really loved Miriam. She's realistic, comes from a home that reminds me of my own in ways, and just overall really had a cheerful spirit when all was well. I love her connection to Emmett, the tattoo artist, and seeing them grow closer throughout the book.
Her twin Mo has more charisma, but you can tell he's not as good as Miriam. He's a little too happy-go-lucky about helping out the devil when she finds out. Their relationship becomes strained during the novel. It's hard not to love your sibling and you can see that strain between them and what their missions are forcing them to do. Ultimately it comes down to this battle of emotions and the outcome changes what happens slightly, but not enough. I'm hoping to see more of these two in a sequel.
Relatability: I think anyone who had an upbringing in the church will relate to this, along with those who have siblings that were once close to and then drifted apart. Definitely a lot to relate to in this novel.
Cover Commentary: I'm not sure I like it. You never really get close to the angels, so it's interesting that the cover would look like that. I like the colors though.
Plot: A good versus evil plot that finally has our lead falling for someone of her own species. I have to say the beginning of the book made me realize this wasn't going to be your average paranormal book (finally!). When Miriam receives a visit from the angel the first time, it's painful and the holy power of God literally makes her pee her pants. No joke. Finally, someone who has captured the real power of angels and how their presence really is stunning.
I like the way that we learn about Miriam. With little pieces here and there and really seeing her interact with the world around her. She does find a romantic interest and I love the real way they interact with each other. It's not all love at first sight and instant kisses. There's dates, there's getting to know each other a little bit at a time and there's not instant commitment to die for one another.
But back to the plot, Miriam becomes torn between her mission and the fact that her twin may be on the other side. She's only human and tries her best to accomplish her mission in the ways that she can. Miriam is not wonder woman, she can't magically fix things, but she uses what she has to accomplish the task.
There were parts in this book that made me cry, I'll be honest, especially towards the end. There's a ton of emotion in what is going on throughout the novel and it truly is a realistic way of threading the good vs. evil battle into the human world.
Characters: I really loved Miriam. She's realistic, comes from a home that reminds me of my own in ways, and just overall really had a cheerful spirit when all was well. I love her connection to Emmett, the tattoo artist, and seeing them grow closer throughout the book.
Her twin Mo has more charisma, but you can tell he's not as good as Miriam. He's a little too happy-go-lucky about helping out the devil when she finds out. Their relationship becomes strained during the novel. It's hard not to love your sibling and you can see that strain between them and what their missions are forcing them to do. Ultimately it comes down to this battle of emotions and the outcome changes what happens slightly, but not enough. I'm hoping to see more of these two in a sequel.
Relatability: I think anyone who had an upbringing in the church will relate to this, along with those who have siblings that were once close to and then drifted apart. Definitely a lot to relate to in this novel.
Cover Commentary: I'm not sure I like it. You never really get close to the angels, so it's interesting that the cover would look like that. I like the colors though.
May 16, 2012
For more reviews and bookish fun, check out Tantalizing Illusions.
Kindred was an okay read. I expected much more and there was so much potential. I just didn't feel like I read anything special.
After an encounter of the angelic kind, Miriam is appointed a mission. When she doesn't exactly succeed 100% in her mission, Miriam begins to weaken and gets sick. She moves from college to a small town in Tennessee and gets a job at the local newspaper.
I thought Miriam was okay. She was a really nice girl but a bit too timid. I mean that she never got angry about the stuff that happened to her even though some awful things did happen. I was surprised at that. She's a much better person than I am. I didn't really connect with her and I found her a bit plain.
Her twin brother, Moses was a much more interesting character, in my view. While Miriam's encounter was angelic, Mo's was demonic. Most people think "No, I'd never side with the devil. Only bad, awful psychopaths would do that." I liked that Mo wasn't shown to be bad. He had issues but he was more charming and ambitious. He had big dreams which I can understand, but loose morals. While what he was doing was wrong, it wasn't unthinkable. I liked that there was that gray area. I would have loved to read the story from his perspective.
What turned me off the story was the religious aspect. Miriam's father was Jewish and her mother Catholic so there was a lot of focus on religion in her life. Specifically about God. There were many questions about God and while that would be perfect for a youth group to discuss, it wasn't really the entertaining, light read I had in mind. I'm only mentioning this because it may put some people off the book.
The plot was interesting enough though kind of slow for the most part. There was some romance that I liked (and it was unusual. I liked the character and wanted more romance for once!), there was some mystery, etc. There was a certain storyline that I found very interesting. Something that happened to Miriam and that I would have been curious to read about more than the angel/demon thing. That part was well done and I was surprised when I read of it. (Sorry for being vague but I don't want to spoil it... it is an important plot point for the book.)
In short, Kindred is a nice enough read. It's just not my kind of read. It's a unique, different kind of book that will probably be a hit or miss. For me it was more of a miss. 2 stars,
**
Kindred was an okay read. I expected much more and there was so much potential. I just didn't feel like I read anything special.
After an encounter of the angelic kind, Miriam is appointed a mission. When she doesn't exactly succeed 100% in her mission, Miriam begins to weaken and gets sick. She moves from college to a small town in Tennessee and gets a job at the local newspaper.
I thought Miriam was okay. She was a really nice girl but a bit too timid. I mean that she never got angry about the stuff that happened to her even though some awful things did happen. I was surprised at that. She's a much better person than I am. I didn't really connect with her and I found her a bit plain.
Her twin brother, Moses was a much more interesting character, in my view. While Miriam's encounter was angelic, Mo's was demonic. Most people think "No, I'd never side with the devil. Only bad, awful psychopaths would do that." I liked that Mo wasn't shown to be bad. He had issues but he was more charming and ambitious. He had big dreams which I can understand, but loose morals. While what he was doing was wrong, it wasn't unthinkable. I liked that there was that gray area. I would have loved to read the story from his perspective.
What turned me off the story was the religious aspect. Miriam's father was Jewish and her mother Catholic so there was a lot of focus on religion in her life. Specifically about God. There were many questions about God and while that would be perfect for a youth group to discuss, it wasn't really the entertaining, light read I had in mind. I'm only mentioning this because it may put some people off the book.
The plot was interesting enough though kind of slow for the most part. There was some romance that I liked (and it was unusual. I liked the character and wanted more romance for once!), there was some mystery, etc. There was a certain storyline that I found very interesting. Something that happened to Miriam and that I would have been curious to read about more than the angel/demon thing. That part was well done and I was surprised when I read of it. (Sorry for being vague but I don't want to spoil it... it is an important plot point for the book.)
In short, Kindred is a nice enough read. It's just not my kind of read. It's a unique, different kind of book that will probably be a hit or miss. For me it was more of a miss. 2 stars,
**
May 19, 2012
I was so excited to read this because I thought the concept was quite unique and the story sounded really interesting. Also, I heard Tammar Stein speak at a conference and she was very engaging, which I assumed would translate into her writing.
The book started out strong, with the introduction of the main character, a fairly dull college freshman named Miriam, and her first encounter with the archangel Raphael. The description of the angel's visit is vivid and terrifying, as is what follows. Miriam attempts to fulfill her mission from Raphael, but feels that she has failed and is overcome with terror and guilt. In an attempt to understand what is happening to her, she confides in her twin brother, Mo(ses), only to discover that he has had a similar experience, not with an angel, but with the devil.
It was around this point that the book fell flat for me. I kept waiting for another celestial encounter or some explanation, but what follows for much of the rest of the book is description of Miriam's developing Crohn's disease (too much description of her bowel movements for my taste), and her rather lame attempts to understand the angels. The main character is truly an enigma. At some points she seems outgoing and friendly, making friends with a tattoo artist and an organic farmer in her new town where she works for a local newspaper. But she doesn't seem to have any other friends from the start. This serves to highlight how isolating and even more frightening her encounters are. Her brother is probably the character with the most potential, but he is never fully fleshed out. The same can be said for Emmett, the tattoo artist/love interest. I was left wanting to know more of their stories and less of Miriam's.
As the book came to close, there was actually some suspense as I waited to see how Stein was going to pull it all together. (The first 30 and the last 30 pages were definitely the best) Sadly, the ending left me hanging, and not in the good way that encourages readers to create their own resolution for the characters, but in the way that suggests the author wasn't sure of their fate herself. I'm still annoyed that I don't know what happened to Mo.
All in all, I kind of wish the author would take her original idea and start over. Start over with new, more interesting characters, plot events, and a more satisfying conclusion. Then again, maybe I'm missing the point. One thing Miriam learns from the angels is, you can't always get what you want.
The book started out strong, with the introduction of the main character, a fairly dull college freshman named Miriam, and her first encounter with the archangel Raphael. The description of the angel's visit is vivid and terrifying, as is what follows. Miriam attempts to fulfill her mission from Raphael, but feels that she has failed and is overcome with terror and guilt. In an attempt to understand what is happening to her, she confides in her twin brother, Mo(ses), only to discover that he has had a similar experience, not with an angel, but with the devil.
It was around this point that the book fell flat for me. I kept waiting for another celestial encounter or some explanation, but what follows for much of the rest of the book is description of Miriam's developing Crohn's disease (too much description of her bowel movements for my taste), and her rather lame attempts to understand the angels. The main character is truly an enigma. At some points she seems outgoing and friendly, making friends with a tattoo artist and an organic farmer in her new town where she works for a local newspaper. But she doesn't seem to have any other friends from the start. This serves to highlight how isolating and even more frightening her encounters are. Her brother is probably the character with the most potential, but he is never fully fleshed out. The same can be said for Emmett, the tattoo artist/love interest. I was left wanting to know more of their stories and less of Miriam's.
As the book came to close, there was actually some suspense as I waited to see how Stein was going to pull it all together. (The first 30 and the last 30 pages were definitely the best) Sadly, the ending left me hanging, and not in the good way that encourages readers to create their own resolution for the characters, but in the way that suggests the author wasn't sure of their fate herself. I'm still annoyed that I don't know what happened to Mo.
All in all, I kind of wish the author would take her original idea and start over. Start over with new, more interesting characters, plot events, and a more satisfying conclusion. Then again, maybe I'm missing the point. One thing Miriam learns from the angels is, you can't always get what you want.
February 13, 2011
Going into Kindred I had no idea what to expect. The summary was rather vague and I had read only a few reviews. The novel started off a bit slow and jumped around a lot, but I ended up liking this original and intense new release by Tammar Stein.
To start off, Kindred was a very religion centered novel. There were many references to Christianity, Judaism, the Bible, God, the Devil, and more. I'm not religious at all so I didn't always understand what was going on. I wouldn't say I was extremely uncomfortable reading it, but some people might be.
The main character Miriam is visited by an archangel and she is sent on a couple of missions to "save" people. After feeling she failed her first mission, Miriam leaves school and starts working at a newspaper firm down south. Living there she meets a variety of new people and makes a good friend in Emmett, the owner of the local tattoo parlor. Emmett was a sweet guy under all his ink and was always there for Miriam when she needed someone the most. Miriam's life was never easy after being first visited by Raphael. She starts to suffer from chronic diarrhea, aches and pains, and sleeplessness. When she gets another vision and discovers the identity of the next person she needs to help Miriam hopes succeeding in "saving" them will make God happy enough to cure her. Miriam is forced to question her faith and belief in both herself, God, and, eventually, her twin brother Moses as the novel progresses. She suffers a lot and is faced with some difficult decisions.
The first few chapters jumped around a bit but after I got into it I was very intrigued by Miriam and Moses ("Mo"). Their experiences with good and evil was a different concept and religion was presented in a unique way in Kindred. The plot was very complex and a variety of sub plots tied together by the end. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next.
College age characters are few and far between in YA literature so it was interesting to read about a girl entering the "adult" world and living on her own.
All in all, Kindred was a unique and complex start to a series that while at times slow was an overall interesting read. I learned some religious references and ideals I'd never heard before and Miriam was a main character I did like. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for Tammar.
Overall:3 out of 5 stars
January 2, 2015
Kindred is an interesting take on the "angel" novel. Instead of a girl being caught in between two angels (doubling as love interests), Miriam believes that she has been visited by the angel Gabriel. She embarks upon a quest to save those that she believes Gabriel has marked for her. But throughout the novel, it is made clear that Miriam has experienced her own crisis of faith. At the start of the novel, it is made clear that though Miriam may believe in something, she is not very religious. As the novel progresses, readers can see that though Miriam believes that Gabriel (and perhaps, God) has a plan for her, she has trouble unravelling her own deeper feelings on God.
I really liked Tammer Stein's style of prose. Her writing could be considered a little sparse, but it resonated with me. Even with the subject matter, Kindred does not come off as preachy, or even as overly religious. The placement of Miriam's fraternal twin brother, Mo, as her adversary was genius. It is easy to see that Mo is the wilder, more free and extroverted of the pair. And, when it seems as if he might be working on the opposite side of the good-evil divide as Miriam, Stein exposes Miriam's inner confusion over how to help her brother with great alacrity.
A small note on some of the more mundane details of the book: Miriam experiences some illness, which she attributes to her position. Perhaps God is punishing her, or perhaps she must endure this pain for a greater purpose. Understandably, this is a part of the plot that is important to the novel, but the details of her illness are rather detailed. Once Miriam sees a doctor, it is revealed that she probably suffers from Crohn's Disease. For readers who might be sensitive to this sort of thing, know that there is a fair amount of discussion about Miriam's intestinal and "lower" issues. While it didn't put me off the book, I can see how it could take away from the greater plot that Kindred is about, if it is a personally disturbing subject.
At it's heart, the book describes a struggle; a turning point or "growing pain". The inner struggle that Miriam has, the struggle that exists between good and evil, is a struggle that, with the religious aspect removed, could describe almost any hard situation that a person (especially a teen) might find themselves having to overcome.
I really liked Tammer Stein's style of prose. Her writing could be considered a little sparse, but it resonated with me. Even with the subject matter, Kindred does not come off as preachy, or even as overly religious. The placement of Miriam's fraternal twin brother, Mo, as her adversary was genius. It is easy to see that Mo is the wilder, more free and extroverted of the pair. And, when it seems as if he might be working on the opposite side of the good-evil divide as Miriam, Stein exposes Miriam's inner confusion over how to help her brother with great alacrity.
A small note on some of the more mundane details of the book: Miriam experiences some illness, which she attributes to her position. Perhaps God is punishing her, or perhaps she must endure this pain for a greater purpose. Understandably, this is a part of the plot that is important to the novel, but the details of her illness are rather detailed. Once Miriam sees a doctor, it is revealed that she probably suffers from Crohn's Disease. For readers who might be sensitive to this sort of thing, know that there is a fair amount of discussion about Miriam's intestinal and "lower" issues. While it didn't put me off the book, I can see how it could take away from the greater plot that Kindred is about, if it is a personally disturbing subject.
At it's heart, the book describes a struggle; a turning point or "growing pain". The inner struggle that Miriam has, the struggle that exists between good and evil, is a struggle that, with the religious aspect removed, could describe almost any hard situation that a person (especially a teen) might find themselves having to overcome.
June 11, 2011
Miriam is a college freshman left behind during spring break. While in her room one night, studying, Miriam comes in contact with a light so bright and powerful that is makes her physically ill. This light tells her, in ancient Hebrew no less, that it is her task to save Tabitha. Problem is, she has no clue who Tabitha is. After finding this mystery girl and taking on the task (and failing in her own eyes), Miriam is left tortured. She is losing weight and becoming ill and let‘s face it, after you’ve been visited by an archangel and given a mission from God … college is kind of trivial.
After a visit from her twin brother, Mo, and his stark revelation that he is been recruited by the devil himself, Miriam decides to drop out of school in order to come to terms with everything. She scores a journalist job in the small Civil War town of Hamilton, Tennessee and things only get worse from there: another task is set upon her, she struggles with her faith and her health grows poorer by the day.
Kindred really drew me in and I quickly read my way through it, which is shocking since it is a bit on the theological side of things and religious fiction is not my favorite thing. As Kindred is written from Miriam’s point of view, we spend a great deal of time in her head so we witness all her grapples, thoughts and doubts regarding what she is doing, her concerns about Mo and her (re-)developing faith. Her divorced parents help her out a bit here (her father is a Rabbi and her mother an ex-nun, and both are professors of theology) as well as Emmett, a newfound friend.
As most of you know, I really have a thing for angels and demons (the more the merrier, I always say) but it was actually refreshing to read a book that dealt with those beings but didn’t put them at the forefront (can’t believe I just said that lol). Sure, this book is considered paranormal but really it’s about a troubled girl struggling with God and a disease that debilitates her. I won’t say this is one everyone should rush out a read, because it does deal a good bit with religion and I think it will only appeal to certain people, but even I, a polytheist, rather enjoyed it so that’s got to say something.
http://www.read-all-over.net/fiction/...
After a visit from her twin brother, Mo, and his stark revelation that he is been recruited by the devil himself, Miriam decides to drop out of school in order to come to terms with everything. She scores a journalist job in the small Civil War town of Hamilton, Tennessee and things only get worse from there: another task is set upon her, she struggles with her faith and her health grows poorer by the day.
Kindred really drew me in and I quickly read my way through it, which is shocking since it is a bit on the theological side of things and religious fiction is not my favorite thing. As Kindred is written from Miriam’s point of view, we spend a great deal of time in her head so we witness all her grapples, thoughts and doubts regarding what she is doing, her concerns about Mo and her (re-)developing faith. Her divorced parents help her out a bit here (her father is a Rabbi and her mother an ex-nun, and both are professors of theology) as well as Emmett, a newfound friend.
As most of you know, I really have a thing for angels and demons (the more the merrier, I always say) but it was actually refreshing to read a book that dealt with those beings but didn’t put them at the forefront (can’t believe I just said that lol). Sure, this book is considered paranormal but really it’s about a troubled girl struggling with God and a disease that debilitates her. I won’t say this is one everyone should rush out a read, because it does deal a good bit with religion and I think it will only appeal to certain people, but even I, a polytheist, rather enjoyed it so that’s got to say something.
http://www.read-all-over.net/fiction/...
February 8, 2011
This book wasn't what I expected but I think that was mostly due to the summary. I felt the book was more about Miriam's individual journey than the summary shows. At first it was a little difficult for me to discover what was going on but I soon got into the flow of the story. Miriam is visited by an angel, Raphael, and she finds out that she is supposed to help others. The first task is difficult because she is unsure of what to do or how to save the girl. She wants to help but Raphael didn't give a lot of guidance.
After the task is over, and the girl ends up injured, Miriam feels she didn't do the job as she should have. She feels like a failure. This brings her to think more about religion and the way the world works. This book has a lot of religious references. Miriam spends quite a bit of time talking to others about their idea of God and spirituality.
Then, after finding out that her twin brother Mo was visited by "evil" she worries even more. In order to get away from the feelings she moves to Tennessee and works for a newspaper. This brings good and bad into her life. On one hand she meets a great guy, Emmett. He works at a tattoo parlor and he is sweet and kind to Miriam. This turns out to be something she needs desperately because she is suffering inside. She has terrible symptoms and pain that no one can seem to diagnosis. She starts to feel that this is all a punishment from God for failing her earlier mission. She becomes even more determined to succeed at her next task in order to be cured of her illness.
After getting into the story and away from my expectations of the book from the summary, I was able to get into Miriam's story. It did jump around a little at first but by the middle of the story I was curious to see what would happen to Miriam and her faith. As I mentioned, this book is strongly based on religious references and thoughts which does make this a very unique, YA story. I truly felt I got a nice grasp of Miriam as a character and I highly enjoyed reading about Emmett. Kindred was a fascinating book that shows how a young girl can begin to question faith when she is surrounded by chaos.
After the task is over, and the girl ends up injured, Miriam feels she didn't do the job as she should have. She feels like a failure. This brings her to think more about religion and the way the world works. This book has a lot of religious references. Miriam spends quite a bit of time talking to others about their idea of God and spirituality.
Then, after finding out that her twin brother Mo was visited by "evil" she worries even more. In order to get away from the feelings she moves to Tennessee and works for a newspaper. This brings good and bad into her life. On one hand she meets a great guy, Emmett. He works at a tattoo parlor and he is sweet and kind to Miriam. This turns out to be something she needs desperately because she is suffering inside. She has terrible symptoms and pain that no one can seem to diagnosis. She starts to feel that this is all a punishment from God for failing her earlier mission. She becomes even more determined to succeed at her next task in order to be cured of her illness.
After getting into the story and away from my expectations of the book from the summary, I was able to get into Miriam's story. It did jump around a little at first but by the middle of the story I was curious to see what would happen to Miriam and her faith. As I mentioned, this book is strongly based on religious references and thoughts which does make this a very unique, YA story. I truly felt I got a nice grasp of Miriam as a character and I highly enjoyed reading about Emmett. Kindred was a fascinating book that shows how a young girl can begin to question faith when she is surrounded by chaos.
January 26, 2011
Synopsis: Miriam is in college, alone during Spring Break in her dorm, when the archangel Raphael comes to her in a vision and gives her a task. In Ancient Hebrew. Which she understands. She feels that she fails at this task (reader note: Miriam needs to cut herself some slack) and ends up dropping out of school and suffering from some first class GI problems. She conveniently is offered a job at a small-town newspaper (she's 18) along with an apartment, and ends up meeting Emmett, who runs the local tattoo parlor. Miriam is also a twin, and her brother Mo had a vision as well -- from the devil. Miriam spends the rest of the book deciphering her visions, visiting doctors, and trying to figure out how to save her brother. Kind of.
Point the first: the cover is misleading. I know, I know... but angels aren't the central feature of this book.
Point the second: This author needs an editor. And not in the way I usually recommend editing. It wasn't too long. In fact, it needed to be longer. In this case, an editor would help with fleshing out portions of the story that worked and remove the parts that didn't.
Point the third: There is potential here. I almost gave up about 20 pages in, but that's where the book shifted and really started to take off. There are about four different stories going on, and at least two of them need to be taken out. Stein struggles with focus, and as a result, the reader does too. My favorite part of this book was Emmett -- the love interest -- and his shop. My least favorite was the brother/devil part, only because -- and this is just me -- it seems like kind of a big deal that the devil is talking to this guy. But Miriam (and Stein) have trouble giving it the weight it deserves.
Point the fourth: I loved the parents' backstory -- a former Catholic nun and a rabbi, both theology professors. I wanted more of them, and more of how this shaped Miriam's take on faith, which grew through the book. There were points where this could have taking on a more Angelology feel, but that took a backseat to forwarding the plot. Unfortunately, that left holes and created some very large jumps that made little sense.
Point the first: the cover is misleading. I know, I know... but angels aren't the central feature of this book.
Point the second: This author needs an editor. And not in the way I usually recommend editing. It wasn't too long. In fact, it needed to be longer. In this case, an editor would help with fleshing out portions of the story that worked and remove the parts that didn't.
Point the third: There is potential here. I almost gave up about 20 pages in, but that's where the book shifted and really started to take off. There are about four different stories going on, and at least two of them need to be taken out. Stein struggles with focus, and as a result, the reader does too. My favorite part of this book was Emmett -- the love interest -- and his shop. My least favorite was the brother/devil part, only because -- and this is just me -- it seems like kind of a big deal that the devil is talking to this guy. But Miriam (and Stein) have trouble giving it the weight it deserves.
Point the fourth: I loved the parents' backstory -- a former Catholic nun and a rabbi, both theology professors. I wanted more of them, and more of how this shaped Miriam's take on faith, which grew through the book. There were points where this could have taking on a more Angelology feel, but that took a backseat to forwarding the plot. Unfortunately, that left holes and created some very large jumps that made little sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2011
Honestly, I have to say that my biggest issue with this book is that not enough happened. There wasn't enough action - neither physically nor emotionally.
The story concept is fantastic. I love books about angels so I thought that this one would be extra special. Our main character is young girl named Miriam who has a visit from an angel, along with a mission to save someone. At the same time, her twin brother, Moses, has a visit from Satan, with a mission to hurt someone (although, of course, Moses doesn't see it that way). I love the idea of angels/demons fighting over these two twins; I think it is unique and exciting.
But in the entire novel, there are only two missions for Miriam to complete, and the first one happens within the first few chapters of the book. Because of this, I felt like the storyline was too slow-going and I found myself wanting to skip ahead to see when the next fast-paced action would occur.
Unfortunately, I also didn't enjoy the romance between Miriam and one of the other characters (I won't tell who). I just felt, again, like it was moving to slow and because of this, I never felt the spark between the two of them. It was a relationship that was just...there. It wasn't exciting or romantic.
If there is a sequel to this book - which I believe there might be just because of the way it is written - my advice to you would be to wait for the sequel and then read both books together. I think that a more satisfying ending might be just the thing to bring this novel up a notch.
Maria @GoodChoiceReading.com
The story concept is fantastic. I love books about angels so I thought that this one would be extra special. Our main character is young girl named Miriam who has a visit from an angel, along with a mission to save someone. At the same time, her twin brother, Moses, has a visit from Satan, with a mission to hurt someone (although, of course, Moses doesn't see it that way). I love the idea of angels/demons fighting over these two twins; I think it is unique and exciting.
But in the entire novel, there are only two missions for Miriam to complete, and the first one happens within the first few chapters of the book. Because of this, I felt like the storyline was too slow-going and I found myself wanting to skip ahead to see when the next fast-paced action would occur.
Unfortunately, I also didn't enjoy the romance between Miriam and one of the other characters (I won't tell who). I just felt, again, like it was moving to slow and because of this, I never felt the spark between the two of them. It was a relationship that was just...there. It wasn't exciting or romantic.
If there is a sequel to this book - which I believe there might be just because of the way it is written - my advice to you would be to wait for the sequel and then read both books together. I think that a more satisfying ending might be just the thing to bring this novel up a notch.
Maria @GoodChoiceReading.com
December 7, 2013
This story occupies a weird niche, in that it's not quite young adult but not adult, either. Miriam is 18, then 19, during the events, and her boyfriend is about 25, so they're out of the standard YA age group. In addition, the cover photographs, blurb, and one-word title might lead a person to expect a paranormal romance. Instead, this is a contemporary novel set around a mystical experience, with a thoughtful, exploring tone.
I couldn't guess where this was going in the middle. Nothing much of importance seemed to happen as Miriam moved to her new town, started her job, met a nice guy, struggled with a health problem (of a rather icky nature, but it did work well for the plot), and wondered why this single odd event had happened to her. And then it all fell together, quite brilliantly but not too perfectly. I think the author did a very satisfying job of showing that God does, indeed, work in mysterious ways.
The story line concerning Mo, Miriam's brother, is left a bit open at the end, so I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel that addresses what's happened to him. However, this book stands alone just fine.
So I definitely recommend this, with the warning that after a bust-out beginning, the story is a little slow-paced in the middle -- but totally worth it in the end. If you're in the mood for a book that features a bit more contemplation than action, this is a very good choice.
I couldn't guess where this was going in the middle. Nothing much of importance seemed to happen as Miriam moved to her new town, started her job, met a nice guy, struggled with a health problem (of a rather icky nature, but it did work well for the plot), and wondered why this single odd event had happened to her. And then it all fell together, quite brilliantly but not too perfectly. I think the author did a very satisfying job of showing that God does, indeed, work in mysterious ways.
The story line concerning Mo, Miriam's brother, is left a bit open at the end, so I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel that addresses what's happened to him. However, this book stands alone just fine.
So I definitely recommend this, with the warning that after a bust-out beginning, the story is a little slow-paced in the middle -- but totally worth it in the end. If you're in the mood for a book that features a bit more contemplation than action, this is a very good choice.
April 20, 2011
My Review:
Let me start by saying... I liked this book O.K.. Kindred was a fast enough pace read that you will not get bored, and a slow enough read, that you become one with the characters.
Miriam is visited by an archangel Raphael and is given several missions she must do. She totally bombs on the first one and is forced to move on to the next missions. She moves away from school and gets a job soon after her first mission. After Miriam moves away she meets Emmett. Not too long after, Emmett would do anything for Miriam, he was always there for her when she needed him. It was hard to read how much crap Miriam physically went through in this book. She wanted to complete her other missions so God would show her favor and heal/cure her. My favorite parts of the book was when Miriam and her twin brother Moses ("Mo") were together, constantly arguing and battling with each other. They really loved each other though, you could tell that Miriam and Mo were really close. I think their relationship was strained while battling good vs. evil. Mo was a good supporting character.
This book really was a heart thumping read, in the end. The only problem I might of had with this book, is the fact that it moved around a bit, a little jumpy. The flow of the storyline could of used some help. However, it slowly progressed into a very good climatic ending.
Amy
http://ReadingTeen.net/
July 13, 2012
Hrmmmm, I wouldn't really call this an angel book in the sense that a love interest is an angel being kind of thing or angels are like involved, in the cool/romantic/action-y kind of sense. It's more like a religious angel book thing so if you're not religious because this book references to Christianity and Judaism, by the way, and you don't really reading about those things, you might not like this. The main character's not much of a religious person though so you won't get any preachy stuff but there will be a lot of religious stuff in this book like Christianity angels and stuff. I read this last year but I remember a memory when I was reading this, it was late at night and I snuck away into the bathroom so that way my dad wouldn't nag me for staying up late because I always do that so I shut the bathroom door inside the master bedroom (because my parents don't use the master bedroom, surprisingly. They have their own rooms because they work a lot.) and put down the toilet seat and finished reading all of it even though the bathroom space was really cramped up.
August 8, 2014
When our library was moving locations, this was one of the donation books that I rescued for my own home library. I finally sat down tonight and read though it, and I found it rather interesting. It was different, for me, to see a YA novel that grapples with so many different angles of religion, though at times it felt a bit flat. Not bad, just...slow, I suppose. It built up the action right away, and then everything dropped off. I expected there to be more curve balls, more happening with the angels and these missions.
I did appreciate the punishment that Miriam received for not carrying out her first task. A bit of a let down to not find out properly how it ended, but I didn't mind that too much. I would really like to see this novel written from the reverse perspective of Mo. I'd love to see how he met the devil, the conversations they had, and what he was made to do while Miriam spent her time struggling with her sickness and her view point of religion.
Overall I give it a three. I'd probably read it again!
I did appreciate the punishment that Miriam received for not carrying out her first task. A bit of a let down to not find out properly how it ended, but I didn't mind that too much. I would really like to see this novel written from the reverse perspective of Mo. I'd love to see how he met the devil, the conversations they had, and what he was made to do while Miriam spent her time struggling with her sickness and her view point of religion.
Overall I give it a three. I'd probably read it again!
Read
December 11, 2015KINDRED is a deep and unflinching exploration of faith, freedom of choice and sibling relationships. Miriam is a believably complex protagonist at the cusp of adulthood wrestling not only with angelic visitation and the cosmic battle between good and evil but also a scary health condition and a would be mass murderer.
I was riveted by the personal, spiritual journey Miriam goes through – the lives she touches and those that touch hers. I loved how the “paranormal” aspects of this are grounded in the real world by such a real character.
(Also? If you are one of those readers that complain there aren’t enough bathroom breaks in fiction – this is your book!)
I was riveted by the personal, spiritual journey Miriam goes through – the lives she touches and those that touch hers. I loved how the “paranormal” aspects of this are grounded in the real world by such a real character.
(Also? If you are one of those readers that complain there aren’t enough bathroom breaks in fiction – this is your book!)
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