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leadabird'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? No
3.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia
Shori, the main character of Fledgling, is a 53-year-old Ina (vampire) whose appearance resembles an 11-year-old human.axel_p's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Minor: Genocide, Hate crime, Incest, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Death, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Classism, Pregnancy, Ableism, Blood, and Gaslighting
charrlee'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? It's complicated
4.0
This is a text that will have you traversing the themes of blackness & fugitivity and hybridity & "naturalness" while questioning who assumes the role of monsters. Humanity is found in unexpected places as Butler subverts, complicates, and rewrites the expectations and rules of the common Western vampire trope. There is much to discuss about the moral quandaries this book offers. It was a challenging read and probably one of the more horrific books I've read to date.
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Body horror, Child abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Racism, Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Hate crime
Moderate: Blood, Genocide, Classism, Gore, Torture, Physical abuse, Addiction, Slavery, Colonisation, and Racial slurs
cj13's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Narrator is a fifty-three-year-old vampire whose body looks like that of a prepubescent human child. The narrator has sex with several adult humans.maregred'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
2.5
Graphic: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Slavery and Grief
takemetomilos's review against another edition
- 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
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)
Graphic: Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Racial slurs
risaleel'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, and Genocide
Moderate: Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Racism, War, Violence, and Racial slurs
Minor: Gaslighting, Classism, Gore, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, and Drug use
linblythe_pub22'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder, Grief, Violence, Medical trauma, Blood, and Gun violence
halfbloodprincess_hogwarts'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
5.0
The MC is a Black Vampire whom is desirable, courageous, brave, unforgettable and a refreshing character. She wakes up in a cave in excruciating pain with no memory of what happened to her nor who she is. We come to know the world through her eyes and who she is as the story progresses. Along with help from those on the way.
I did mentally clutch my metaphoric pearls (especially while driving) listening to the audiobook. This is definitely more for mature audiences. It's so difficult to express my love for this novel without dumping spoilers. Just impossible.
Found family, my favorite trope, plays a major role in Fledgling and I could 100% relisten to this again and again.
Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Genocide
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
brynalexa'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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Racism