Reviews with content warning for Violence - Fledgling

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler has been the most challenging read for me in the 52 Book Challenge. Yes, it is a original book focused around vampire lore and confronting many of the tired fables about them head on. It also tackles issues around identity and race in a novel way. However, I just did not gel with this book at all. It was not a book I could read before bed, which is my normal habit. Instead I read it over a long weekend and was glad that I have finished it but left feeling slight out of kilter, which I think is what the author was aiming for with this novel.

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yeahnaar's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-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? Yes

3.25

This book feels very young adult - which isn’t bad if that’s a genre you like. The plot is overly linear, and thematically it doesn’t engage with the topic of race in an especially interesting or engaging way. Most problematic is that the book seems to needlessly promote paedophilic relationships, and goes out of its way to make the main character resemble a small child and then have sexual relationships with adults. If you can get past that then it’s an ok book, but normalising pedophilia is a weird and not at all ok thing to do. I would rate the book more highly if not for this element of it

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tiffany8's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.75

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takemetomilos's review against another edition

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tense fast-paced

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

4.25

another book that is going to stick with me- I need to reflect further on the themes and messaging beyond what a first casual read can give, but wow, what a book.

The Atlantic has a fantastic article about it which is helpful is clarifying the authors intentions in upsetting the consent dynamics - shori’s physical presentation and sexual relationship is definitely wildly uncomfortable, but knowing Butler as an author is to know that nothing is without reason. The complains of pedophilia are entirely reasonable and turn a lot of people away from this book, and would have for me if I was not so confident in Butler’s voice.

https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/02/fledgling-octavia-butler-reissue-consent/621420/

(Moving review down from 5.0 to 4.25 stars- horror aspects didn’t stick with me as much, wish consent dynamics were explored further)

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abbylw's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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gellyreads's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a hard rating to give. As per usual, with Butler’s work, there are some really dark, twisted, and traumatic topics. But they’re always there for a reason. I think the main thing that I find enjoyable about this work is the unique perspective of the vampire for. And I love the vampire politics that happen, especially at the end of the novel. This ended up being pretty fun, after a rocky start.

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3littlewordz's review against another edition

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mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

2.75

I thought this would be...good. This book was my introduction to Octavia Butler and I read it to fulfill a prompt for a reading challenge I'm participating in. I have read so many glowing reviews for Butler's books, and maybe I should have started with Parable of the Sower or Kindred, because Fledgling fell incredibly flat for me. I had high hopes in the beginning for a suspenseful thriller that scared me just a bit. I got none of that, but got a lot of Ina history, "dispelling" vampire myth, and a bit of discomfort at the imagery of a childlike vampire sexually involved with human adults. Far too much of the later chapters were spent describing the Ina families. I wanted this to be so so much better. I am now hoping Parable of the Sower will not disappoint me as well.

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risaleel'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? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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