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plainpaige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Incest, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I still have an issue with the main character having sexual relationships with adults when she looks to be only 10 or 11 years old, but this time around I tried to ignore that it was happening. This would have gotten 5 stars from me if the main character had looked like she was at least in her 20s.
(Sept 14th, 2023)
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It took me so long to finish this because I was triggered that the main protagonist, who looks 10 years old but is a 53 year old vampire, keeps having sex with various human adults. I finished this for book club and because I loved Octavia E. Butler but I couldn't get into it because of all the sexual content involving someone who looks 10 yrs old. This is my least liked and lowest rated Octavia E. Butler book.
I like the lore on vampires and the vampiric world building, and I liked the commentary on racism and disability. I just had a hard time with the triggering content. I don't understand why Shori wasn't just made to look like an adult.
3.5 out of 5 Stars rounded up because of the cool concepts and commentary on racism and disability.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
nikkiacat's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
excellent_taste's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
lexnicole's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Incest and Cannibalism
leighae'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? No
2.75
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Murder
mjscooke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
le_mur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, and Cannibalism
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler is the last book she wrote before she died in 2006. This is a bittersweet moment for me, since it means I've now read all of Butler's published works (except for Survivor since it's out of print). I guess now this means rereads!
We follow Shori Matthews as she wakes up in a cave with severe injuries and no knowledge of who she is, where she came from, or how this happened. We learn quickly that Shori isn't human. After healing fully and finding burnt ruins of a community, she is picked up on the side of the road by a good Samaritan, named Wright, who thinks he's helping a child in distress. Shori realizes she's actually a vampire after she bites him. They go on a mission to learn more about Shori and her past and to find others like her.
Shori is a creature called an Ina, who take humans as their symbionts. Ina can't survive without humans, and the Ina extend the lives of the humans bonded to them. A good chunk of the book is spent figuring out who killed Shori's families. Butler has been fond of writing about unique and complex family structures, and the Ina/symbiont family structure is no different. Butler did such a good job with establishing a culture so different from our own, that at first it was hard to read.
The main barrier for someone reading this book would be the apparent pedophilia. Though Shori is a 53 year old vampire, she has the body of a ten year old human girl, and is still considered a child by Ina standards. In Ina communities, children Shori's age start acquiring symbionts and part of the feeding process involves pleasure that turns into sex. In essence we have human men having sex with a person who looks prepubescent. This is a pretty muddy line, since Shori is clearly old enough to consent, even though if she were human she wouldn't be.
This was clearly meant to be a series, but Butler died before she got the chance. I would love to have seen Shori grow up and learn more about the complex society of Ina. Butler's vampire lore is so different from any other vampire book I've read. As always, Butler includes real world problems in her own way. There are themes of racism and bigotry, consent, and free will. We also have a lot of polyamory and queer characters.
Graphic: Gore, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
jayeless'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Trafficking
There is a sexual relationship between an adult man and a 53-year-old vampire who LOOKS like a prepubescent girl.