Reviews with content warning for Child death - Dawn

This is a disturbing read that creates a horrific story about breaches in consent and the abuse of colonization. It asks the question, “what are you able to do when you’re helpless?” then weaves a complex answer considering love, hate, and resistance. It’s a story that could not have come from another author, and I think is an important read.

That being said, despite its discussion of gender, it maintains a very cis and straight perspective throughout, which effected my reading of the book. There is also a very complex relationship that edges into both abuse and pedophilia that I think was intended to be read as disturbing but I know could be interpreted differently. Heavy content warnings as well for: nonconsensual procedures, noncon relationships, rape, forced sterilization, and sensory deprivation torture.

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impla77's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This is a very complex book.. I have to say I love the complicated dynamics of family structures in Butler’s books, but can’t really connect to the interpersonal relationships. This book is I feel quite depressing in the end, with a focus on consent that repeatedly gets violated by the aliens and a general feeling of hopelessness in Lilith’s situation.

I would say that I’m not really sure I liked the direction the plot went with. It seems like there are timeskips where explanation of what happened would probably be beneficial, and again would help in making me believe these relationships between the characters. Overall a very interesting read and I will continue the series.

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haylzno's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? No

5.0

By far my favorite of the trilogy. I loved following Lillith and her moral struggles (not the focus in books 2 & 3)

I loved the introduction to the Oankali, their world, their customs, and their demands of the surviving humans.

Truly, Octavia Butler is a genius.

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frida_epilogo's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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thenonbinaryc's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

5.0

I read Parable of the Sower last year and immediately knew that I needed more Octavia Butler in my life. How had I been sleeping on her for this long? Part of the issue is that I don’t really consider myself a science fiction reader, which is what Butler’s books are generally classified as. But I am a fan of speculative fiction and dystopian fiction, and in Butler’s version of sci-fi, there’s considerable overlap with these genres. So, in addition to being a glowing review, this is also a PSA to try reading genres you sometimes don’t consider. And if you’ve never read anything by Octavia Butler, please do so post haste.

Let’s get the scary sci-fi part out of the way: there are aliens in this book. And while the aliens are a major factor, please know that this is so much more than a book about aliens. More than anything, it’s a book about humans, what it means to be human, and at what point in the evolutionary process does what we are fundamentally change?

Dawn was written in the 1980s, at the height of the Cold War, and it shows. Butler has a knack for looking at the world and imagining the long term consequences if we continue on our current trajectory. This book raises big questions. Does being human mean that we are destined to destroy ourselves? What are the ethical ramifications of animal research, breeding, and genetic modification? And, what price is too high to save our world?

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lisaisabobisa's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

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

4.5

Some parts were disturbing, but I loved it. Will be reading more of this series/author. Gave it a half-star off because of chosen-one trope that serves the narrative but is nevertheless infuriating to read. Otherwise, a flawless story that drew me in from the first chapter and

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eaird's review

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challenging fast-paced

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

4.5

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