Kindred

Jun 13, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

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 p...more

like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 co...more 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.

(less)

like · see review

Apr 19, 2011 Reading Teen rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 wo...more

like · see review

Mar 30, 2011 Alnora1227 rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 har...more 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.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2011 Gecky Boz rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 t...more 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. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 03, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 ordin...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 25, 2011 carolyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arc, borrowed, starbooktours

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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...more 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.(less)

like · see review

Feb 19, 2011 Keyona rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, i-own-these, blog-tours

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 ide...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 29, 2011 Serena Chase rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 give...more 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. (less)

like · see review

Mar 14, 2013 Tammar Stein rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

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 wh...more

like · see review

Dec 24, 2010 JL (An Avid Reader's Musings) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, star-book-tours, books-read-in-2010, reviewed

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...more 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.(less)

like · see review

May 19, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

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. Mi...more 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.

(less)

like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

Quite frankly, Kindred did not work for me. Miriam is a typical college student until she is visited by the archangel Raphael who sets her on a mission. I enjoyed Miriam when she discussed the influence of her former Catholic nun mother and Jewish father on her faith. There was just so many elements to the book: divorced parents,angels and demons, her relationship with her twin brother, Crohn's disease,a tattoo artist, organic farming, a school shooter and newspaper work. When I finished the nov...more

like · see review

May 29, 2011 Misery London rated it 2 of 5 stars

Notice* This novel is really focused on religion ; if your not into that or can't handle it dont read it.
Definitely the most disappointing novel that's angel related.
All the characters are so bland excluding Mo.
I only finished the book in hopes that the story will pick up.
Unfortunetly it did not , I hate the way Miriam talks she's very whinny and annoying.
Tammar Stein didn't create any suspense ,their way no character development .
Its a shame this story actually had potential, I would re write...more

like · see review

May 23, 2011 Bd602grl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book is ok, took me a few chapters to get into it. I hope there is a second book or else this ending sucks....
Girl gets to talk to angels who pretty much tell her to help people when she fails she gets some colon seasickness that is a punishment for her failures. There is a lot of religious stuff in here and also we don't really get to know Mo. just that he's bad or he talked to the devil.
She falls in love with a tattoo artist which is somewhat ok I guess... well like I said hope there is a bett...more

like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Gabry rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 b...more

like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

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, M...more

like · see review

May 16, 2012 P.E. rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 gi...more 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,

**

(less)

like · see review

Jun 11, 2011 Chrissy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, angels-nephilim, arc-book-tour, 2010, reviewed, rao-reviews

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 y...more 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/...(less)

like · see review

Feb 07, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, arc, read-in-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...more 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. (less)

like · see review

Feb 13, 2011 Kelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arcs

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...more
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(less)

like · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult, paranormal-fantasy, romance-y

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 c...more 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.(less)

like · see review

Mar 19, 2011 Allie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well I am one to speak my mind, and i just didnt particulary like this book. I just got a little bored. This is nothing against anyone but it just wasnt my kind of book. The beginning started with some action, but then futher on it just got to be boring... at least to me. I believe the idea was great but there was a lot of information that could have been cut out and some action or love story that could have been put in. This will not stop me from trying other books by Tammar!

like · see review

May 02, 2013 Kym added it

Kindred by Tammar Stein ***
Well-written like the duality/good & Evil. Angels and demon-angels, life and supernatural. Although a good read and does offer hope and taking control in a positive way the themes are not as accessible for all readers, because of the duality of the themes and I don’t believe it would reach as wide an audience as some other YA Literature. Buth there is that group that will love it! (angels & demons/good/evil- religion)

like · see review

Oct 28, 2012 Ania rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: slis-5425, high-school, modern-day, school, young-adult, supernatural

The description and the cover are inviting enough to pick up Kindred. The reader may get excited after 2 chapters but quickly this feeling gets replaced by disappointed with the plot: twins, a sister and a brother, are on a “religious” mission to save some unknown people. I abandoned the book when Miriam meets a tattooists and it looks like they may be attracted to each other. I would still recommend this book for those who enjoying reading about angels, demons and supernatural forces.

like · see review

Feb 28, 2011 Christian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This is an extremely well written and fascinating book. It's not what I expected when I set out to sample it, especially as you're introduced to angels in the first paragraph—I was expecting something in the paranormal vein of things. Instead, I got this extremely interesting exploration of faith and spirituality, the role and perhaps nature of angels and demons, and the meaning and implications of disease and illness.

like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, teen-book-award, library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 14-16, religion, angels, disease

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.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 01, 2013 Katie Shelby rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had a great premise and started off really well, but it lost momentum somewhere between bouts of intestinal distress and awkward (and random) visits to the local tattoo shop. I felt like it was more of a PSA for Crohn's disease than a struggle between good and evil. Very disappointed.

like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I grabbed this book because the cover was intriguing. I found it ironic that it's on the "worst covers" list on Goodreads! It was a little slow, a little predictable, but a fairly good and unusual story line. It is full of religious undertones throughout.

like · see review

title link	preview: Kindred
avg rating	preview: Kindred Goodreads rating: 3.06 (152 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8288918-kindred?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320541602l/8288918.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8288918-kindred?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Kindred by Tammar Stein[/url]

Kindred

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (5)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Tammar Stein

Books by Tammar Stein

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Kindred