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ismurray's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
isabelh0410'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? No
4.0
An excellent discourse regarding race and sexuality. Shori is a Black vampire (Ina), the only one, her family has spent centuries and generations genetically experimenting to create a perfect vampire. Due to her dark skin, Shori can withstand sunlight, a quality that Ina has long coveted. The issue of racial purity comes into play when some Ina show hatred for Shori - not only is she Black but she's part human. Shori must discover who would go to great lengths to destroy her family to ensure Ina's supremacy. Butler invites her readers to examine race and justice systems through her vampires. She creates an entire culture, language, and history as a means of analysis. It is truly Butler's last gift.
"That was the other thing about vampires. They were fictional beings. Folklore. There were no vampires.
So what was I?"
skiwi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ammartinez86's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
4.5
msturdy11's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
daebug's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
alissamk's review against another edition
3.0
A little conflicted about this one as I think Octavia Butler is absolutely brilliant but there were so many ways in which it felt like this story both went too far and not far enough. Reading this was a bit of a roller coaster.
tibbarasden's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
At the surface, this is a vampire novel, but there is a lot more to it than that. The main character is in the body of a 10 -11 year old girl, and by the vampire standards, she is a child. The vampires and the relationship they have with their humans are a symbiotic one, and a big part of that is sexual in nature. The relationship the MC has with her humans is hard to take and definitely could be triggering. I did question why the author would go this route, but as I got deeper into the story, it made more sense to me. It didn't make it any less disturbing, but I saw beneath the surface. This book is really about power (at least that is how I interpret it) and the power those who others would try to make powerless have. Colored people, women, and children have and often still are treated less than human. That doesn't make them powerless. I loved the genetic engineering component of this book and how the MC being female and black made her powerful. The fact that she was a child by the vampire's standard and had amnesia didn't take away from that power.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Pedophilia, and Racial slurs
kabaoyang's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0