Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

27 reviews

kemrick19's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Blood, Racism, Murder, Death, and Body horror

peachani's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Confinement

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gore, Cancer, Murder, Hate crime, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Sexual assault

monstrouscosmos's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.25

Characters: 7.5/10
Relationships: 3/10
Atmosphere/Setting: 6.5/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Plot/Intrigue: 7/10
Internal Logic: 9/10
Entertainment: 3/10
Overall: 45/70, 3.25* 

I read this for a challenge prompt, and chose it because I've struggled with other things I've read/listened to by Butler. while I'm glad I made it through and am grateful for the experience overall: this just wasn't something I could enjoy. I know that's kind of the point, so I'm glad I chose to listen to this when I knew I'd have the emotional bandwidth for it. 

I listened to the Book 2 preview at the end and won't be continuing in the series, but I understand why it's so popular! it's just not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Medical content, Blood, Murder, Body horror, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and War

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Incest

remescient's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I'm not fully sure what I feel about this book. It's good, yes, but also part of me is unhappy with it in a way I can't really describe. It's worth reading and deciding for yourself. I'm interested to see where it goes from here in the next book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Rape, Sexism, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Confinement

Minor: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Cancer, and Car accident

dreareads_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The way I love this book with everything I am.

Listen I’m making an unnecessarily long video review about this book, don’t worry. Just know…. It’s perfect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Torture, Grief, Self harm, War, Cursing, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Slavery, Suicide, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Murder, Sexual assault, Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

meowsloudlyinyourear's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I didn't love Parable of the Sower so I was pleasantly surprised by this!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, War, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Suicide, Death, Medical content, Sexual content, Confinement, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Forced institutionalization

toricanread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Murder, Physical abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Suicidal thoughts

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

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

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