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booknug's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death, Body horror, Sexual assault, Rape, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Colonisation
frida_epilogo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, Cancer, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content, Violence, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, War, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Chronic illness
mizelse'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Confinement, Grief, Murder, Xenophobia, Genocide, Abandonment, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Cursing, and Infertility
shoohoob's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
That being said, this book was fascinating. It was deeply uncomfortable, unsettling, and infuriating to read at times. It’s so interesting that way you almost want to root for both the Oankali and Lilith, but both make it so hard.
Octavia Butler does such a wonderful job commenting on colonization, xenophobia, and even gender in this book. I found myself referring to the ooloi as he/him but Lilith’s commentary on other people’s reactions to it really put a mirror in my face.
That being said, I’m not sure that I’ll continue the series. I was almost too uncomfortable and I didn’t really find myself caring about what happens to the characters. I connected more to the commentary than the actual story.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Colonisation, Pregnancy, and Confinement
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
Minor: Rape
lisaisabobisa'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? No
4.5
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, War, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, and Xenophobia
abbytait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
And I can honestly say, it’s one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. It was compelling and uncomfortable and unnerving, and explored themes I never really thought about (cue interspecies reproduction). The writing is so vivid even when you kind of don’t want it to be? A really interesting piece of work that will leave me thinking for awhile.
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement