Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

77 reviews

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Confinement, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Cancer and Homophobia

aralakh's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-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? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Violence and Rape

notthatlibrarian's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Rape and Violence

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

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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

edensbookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Colonisation

isa_almeida's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Violence

havelock's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Violence

shoohoob's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

I think this book solidified that I am not a sci-fi/fantasy reader. My brain is just not built for the world-building. 

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

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 

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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

lacyparrish's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

3.0

I read this for a Patreon-hosted book club. Being the first in a triology, it does decent worldbuilding, but I'm not so sure that it has the pacing to keep me going in the series. Not bad, not great ... I will have to wait a bit to decide if I will continue with the other two books. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Colonisation, Violence, Confinement, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma