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Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, War
All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.
A uniquely difficult book to read but incredibly important and timely. Dystopia is so much scarier the more we see fiction represented in our world, Octavia Butler is truly an incredible writer. I love seeing this world through teenage Lauren’s eyes as she battles with her understanding of religion and her hyper-empathy while the world burns around her. Given the current events of the world in 2025, Butler’s work is haunting and hard to swallow, but really poignant and powerful.
Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Quick summary: Things are crappy in the 2020’s, and there’s a water shortage. Lauren’s neighborhood is safe until it isn’t, so she and a couple of other people from her community decide to head north from Los Angeles to look for a better and safer life. Along the way, Lauren shapes religion-like ideas to live by in the hopes of starting a new peaceful community.
The characters in this book are authentically written, in that none of them are perfect. Everyone has weaknesses, jealousies, and bouts of pridefulness that make them feel real. Found family is an engaging theme, and the way people are bound together, sometimes despite themselves, is handled well here.
There were just a couple of little things that kept me from giving it 5 stars. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll be vague. The timing of revelation of some characters’ weaknesses seemed awfully coincidental in propelling the story forward. Also, I felt that Lauren was a bit contradictory in her science-minded beliefs and her new religious ideas – but hey – that describes many religious folks.
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Cannibalism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder