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andrew_matteson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
lauraborkpower's review against another edition
1.0
Before reading this, I'd only read on book by Butler (Kindred, in high school), and this one sounded so interesting; I was especially intrigued when I learned that this was the last book she wrote before she passed away. But I was disappointed and, overall, pretty creeped out. Actually, not "pretty" creeped out. Really. Really creeped out.
And here's why:
The main character, Shori (called Rene at the start of the book before she learns who she is) is a fifty-something year old vampire creature who *looks* like an eleven year old girl. And the first character she gets involved with is a hairy twenty-three year old guy. And they get involved. It's beyond uncomfortable. I paused the audiobook after the first hour and realized that I'd been grimacing for twenty miles of my commute. My face hurt.
Now, Butler explains this relationship and others through an original twist on the vampire myth, the effects of vampire venom, and unconventional physical aging, but the fact is that this character looks like a child and throughout the book she's having sex with human adult characters in addition to feeding off of them in a highly sexualized way.
After I got over that (but let me be frank: I never got over it; in fact, I'm grimacing right now just thinking about it) I tried to get into the actual story. Butler brings up important and interesting themes of race, fear of the "other," family, community, and mortality. Interesting themes yes, but the story itself couldn't keep my attention. The plot was slow, there were about two dozen more characters than were necessary (and none of them were well developed, just described in detail by Butler), and the courtroom drama aspect during the last portion of the book was dull as dishwater. And it wasn't supposed to be.
Nothing in this story felt immediate or relevant. Maybe it was the style, the fact that the characters and the communities they lived in were so removed from "normal" human society, or the narrator (Tracey Leigh) who had to read about fifty character voices, some of them with accents, and forty-eight of them awkward. And I'm sure a lot of people really liked this book. I just wasn't one of them.
And here's why:
The main character, Shori (called Rene at the start of the book before she learns who she is) is a fifty-something year old vampire creature who *looks* like an eleven year old girl. And the first character she gets involved with is a hairy twenty-three year old guy. And they get involved. It's beyond uncomfortable. I paused the audiobook after the first hour and realized that I'd been grimacing for twenty miles of my commute. My face hurt.
Now, Butler explains this relationship and others through an original twist on the vampire myth, the effects of vampire venom, and unconventional physical aging, but the fact is that this character looks like a child and throughout the book she's having sex with human adult characters in addition to feeding off of them in a highly sexualized way.
After I got over that (but let me be frank: I never got over it; in fact, I'm grimacing right now just thinking about it) I tried to get into the actual story. Butler brings up important and interesting themes of race, fear of the "other," family, community, and mortality. Interesting themes yes, but the story itself couldn't keep my attention. The plot was slow, there were about two dozen more characters than were necessary (and none of them were well developed, just described in detail by Butler), and the courtroom drama aspect during the last portion of the book was dull as dishwater. And it wasn't supposed to be.
Nothing in this story felt immediate or relevant. Maybe it was the style, the fact that the characters and the communities they lived in were so removed from "normal" human society, or the narrator (Tracey Leigh) who had to read about fifty character voices, some of them with accents, and forty-eight of them awkward. And I'm sure a lot of people really liked this book. I just wasn't one of them.
ratkowe's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
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? No
3.25
Fascinating concept and well written. Had a difficult time finishing the book, however, as the main character had the physicality of a child despite being 53 (which is also technically still a child among the Ina) and engaging in sexual relationships with adult humans.
basicallybisaha's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
wanderingprion's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Ableism, Sexual violence, Death, and Murder
bougiebrat's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
hneite's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
alienbrainwave's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
yikesofikeso's review against another edition
3.25
A lot of interesting themes to explore, but it was unsettling and unnecessary to include so many sex scenes with a character in the body of a prepubescent girl.
m0rb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
2.75