Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

37 reviews

ztifhael's review

challenging slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, and Death

botanicpanic's review

challenging dark mysterious fast-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? Yes

2.0

If you are planning on reading this, please check the content warnings. The story has rich lore and interesting themes, but has graphic scenes depicting sexual relationships with (essentially) a child and dubious consent with no clear resolution in the broader narrative. This made it almost impossible to like the main characters and no matter how long I read, I couldn't seem to get past it.

I had high hopes for this book and was so ready to love it, but the experience has left me very disappointed. This may be because it was university reading and needed deeper analysis which only compounded my issues with the graphic scenes, but I can't pretend it's an easy read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Pedophilia, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, and Racism

Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

Shori is a 53-year-old vampire (or ‘Ina’) who looks like an 11-year-old girl and is considered a child by other Ina. She begins sexual relationships with five adult humans and a suggested future relationship with an adult Ina. Shori is also the target of multiple racially-motivated attacks and slurs, as she is the first Ina to have dark skin.

amalyndb's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Hate crime, and Death

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

hayleyvharrington's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Violence, Genocide, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Cannibalism, Sexual content, Racism, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime

Minor: Addiction and Xenophobia

literarylion's review

adventurous challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

Pros:

• Impeccable world-building without falling into the trap of over-description
• Well-paced and engaging
• A unique take on a trope

Cons:

• I wish Butler had continued this in a series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, and Racism

soitis's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Stalking

zgc's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

1.5

if this was any other author I would have bailed a few chapters in. not sure I was right not to. this book needed another editing pass, if it needed to exist at all. it's built around a creepy trope, and its themes are communicated better in her other work

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror and Racial slurs