Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

45 reviews

lbrex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is clearly one of Butler's best. If I was going to assign this to a specific aesthetic category, I would say it made me "queasy." Butler has explored issues of human survival, mutual benefit with an alien race, bodily autonomy and reproductive autonomy, sex, and genetics in many of her works, but they are rarely combined in a way that is this complicated, gross, and intriguing. Think of her story "Bloodchild," but imagine additional levels of complicity and nuance, and you have Dawn. And yes, there is tentacle sex, though Butler allows for lots of ambivalence here, as she has the Oankali refer to the Ooloi tentacles as "sensory arms" and has all of the humans comment on the amazing levels of pleasure and intimacy that the tentacles allow. Queasiness is an aesthetic category that sticks with you, whether you like it or not. I'm glad I read this again and now I'm looking forward to the next volume in the trilogy!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

kaiabolland's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, and Murder

jessthanthree's review

adventurous challenging hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content, Racism, and Sexual assault

bookwisp's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I’ll freely admit this book went over my head. I studied English Literature at uni, so, alas, I’m extremely familiar with the sensation. This was one of those books where I know that I didn’t “get it” so I’m aware that I can’t fully appreciate what Butler’s aimed to achieve here.

This started off weird, tense, and gripping and I flew through the first parts. But there was a point in the narrative, probably around the 60% mark, where it lost me.

Consent is a key issue in the narrative. The way theses issues are explored was, to me, uncomfortable. I’m absolutely sure it’s supposed to be uncomfortable but a particular series of events tipped it over into the realm of Too Much and killed it for me, really.

I recognise it’s an interesting book - one I might’ve been better off studying for an essay because there’s a huge amount to unpack - but as a leisure novel it’s not my cup of tea. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Confinement, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Cancer and Homophobia

allyreindl33's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Body horror

Minor: Sexual assault and Suicide attempt

chaotic_aly's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, and Slavery

frida_epilogo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

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

thenonbinaryc's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Car accident, Suicide attempt, Rape, Kidnapping, War, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Incest, Sexual content, and Child death

mizelse's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

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

lisaisabobisa's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

• 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

Some parts were disturbing, but I loved it. Will be reading more of this series/author. Gave it a half-star off because of chosen-one trope that serves the narrative but is nevertheless infuriating to read. Otherwise, a flawless story that drew me in from the first chapter and 

---

Content Warnings

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