Reviews with content warning for Death - Dawn

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

51 reviews

tungstenmouse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

This book is very heavy and shoves the worst traits of humanity in your face at times. I'd like to say it still gave me hope but then Butler came in behind me and crushed that hope. However, the narrative is effective and the storytelling is good. I found it all strangely believable despite its bleakness. Even the main character has unlikable traits and I appreciated that for its reality. I also appreciated how imaginative the idea of the aliens were. Very different from your standard Star Wars/Trek aliens. Also, I appreciated the allegory of the Slave Trade.

Overall, I'd say this is worth the read but just be ready to be hurt.

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aliyah21's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.5

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sana98's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

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miraclesnow's review against another edition

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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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ashenlar's review against another edition

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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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cinderackerman's review against another edition

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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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