Scan barcode
lisaisabobisa's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, War, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, and Xenophobia
abbytait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
And I can honestly say, it’s one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. It was compelling and uncomfortable and unnerving, and explored themes I never really thought about (cue interspecies reproduction). The writing is so vivid even when you kind of don’t want it to be? A really interesting piece of work that will leave me thinking for awhile.
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement
eaird's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Infertility, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Cancer
2treads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
TW: attempted rape, violence, murder.
Octavia Butler just continues to stun with her explorative and intuitive examination of, not only the human condition, but what the fallout can be when we take our hubris too far.
Dawn is just another way in which she has chosen to interpret her understanding of the world as she saw it and existed within it. Mama Butler paid attention; she observed and experienced the ways in which humans interacted with each other, what our intelligence was used to accomplish and what possibilities our social hierarchies and dominance could possibly cause.
Lilith must now reckon with her current existence among this alien community who have had enough time to learn, if not understand the mentality, psychology, behaviour, social norms, and emotions of humans.
Their way of life, terms of assimilation, and expected outcome of repopulation of a restored Earth are foreign and unwelcome to Lilith. But if she is to survive and thrive, she must find a way in which she can come to terms with what is now her present reality.
It is very interesting to see Lilith's growing trepidation to the Oankali's interpretation and understanding of human physiology and interactions; as she begins to realize that in their execution of their mission to integrate and populate the stars, their actions are reminiscent of past cultures and empires on Earth that at one point or other were hegemonic and autocratic.
With each Butler book read, it is clear that she wanted to use her fictional worlds to question societal constructs, hierarchies, hegemonies, identities, the natural world, and beyond.
Moderate: Rape, Racism, Xenophobia, Violence, and Murder
biblio_jordyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I binged this book in a day.
I found it to be interesting & exciting & weird in the best way!
The way the author built the world in the novel mixing in the familiar with the unfamiliar was great, especially for a novice sci-fi reader, like myself.
AND WAIT THERE’S MORE...
This book was first published in 87, so before reading I did have some concerns on some societal ideas it may have... BUT, I was completely shocked/pleased with how before it’s time it was regarding nonbinary identity.
The author writes:
“It’s wrong to assume that I must be a sex you’re familiar with.”
And then later when someone refuses to acknowledge that a being does not fit into a sex?
“..a kind of deliberate, persistent ignorance.”
In 1987 with these ideas that are still so relevant?!?! YES I AM HERE FOR IT.
Also, the fact that the beings that don’t conform to the gender roles are aliens and it was an alien concept at the time that this was written? That’s cool.
I will say the non-binary beings weren’t referred to as they/them but It, so just a warning it’s not perfect, but it did seem like a choice by those people.
This book was thought provoking & different!
Graphic: Sexual assault, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Rape and Child death
lestatsoul's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
kirkspockreads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Confinement, and Body horror
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Homophobia