Reviews tagging 'War'

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

42 reviews

standard_disk's review against another edition

reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Colonisation, Sexual assault, Suicide, and War

kyahs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Appreciated the parallel to race, colonisation and gender identity. Looking forward to the next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Murder

Minor: Suicide, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

mabs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence

Minor: War

miraclesnow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is made to be messy. As someone with a cursory interest in ethics, Octavia Butler made the Oankali truly alien in ways that go beyond their exteriors, while still feeling like sentient individuals. Nothing about this book is simple and it’s such a good way of making you think about not very common topics. I feel like I’m in knots just trying to parse everything that happened. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Gaslighting, Murder, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Infertility, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: War, Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Car accident

Minor: Cancer

ashenlar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The first Octavia Butler book I've read - thank you book club! Incredible writing and imagination - simply written with no need for over-explanation/elaboration in areas like setting/time (like some, esp softer, sci-fi, can get bogged down in). The Ooankali are such a uniquely conceived 'alien' species (again, unlike lots of sci-fi where 'alien' means 'humanoid but different') that simply having them as the focus of a novel would be fascinating, but Butler uses them brilliantly to generate reflection on the whole range of big topics - gender, ethics, humanity, power, colonialism...  The perfect example of science-fiction as a genre both of fantasy world-building and of philosophy  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, Violence, and War

cinderackerman's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

 I was addicted to this book from the beginning. Something about it captured me early on and kept me enraptured for the entirety of the book. I want to know more and am ready to read more about this dystopian world and how everyone fares on their return to Earth.

Lilith's fear is very understandable. I don't know what I would've done in her position, though I would like to think I wouldn't be as fearful. But we can never know until we are in that sort of a position. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, War, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Homophobia

itsnicholaslashay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Sexual violence

Moderate: War and Death

ambermariebee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, War, and Slavery

risaleel's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Xenophobia, Confinement, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Grief, and War

Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and Genocide

lavenderdolmeh's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I am disturbed :) check the trigger warnings, everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Xenophobia, and Death

Minor: Transphobia, Homophobia, Child death, Racism, and War