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charrlee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
Octavia Butler's work in this novel makes you squirm --- it is meant to, and her writing here has been one of the most uncomfortable reading experiences I've had. I'm unsure how to accurately summarize the journey Fledgling has put me through, but I will say Butler has yet to fail in her deliveries.
This is a text that will have you traversing the themes of blackness & fugitivity and hybridity & "naturalness" while questioning who assumes the role of monsters. Humanity is found in unexpected places as Butler subverts, complicates, and rewrites the expectations and rules of the common Western vampire trope. There is much to discuss about the moral quandaries this book offers. It was a challenging read and probably one of the more horrific books I've read to date.
This is a text that will have you traversing the themes of blackness & fugitivity and hybridity & "naturalness" while questioning who assumes the role of monsters. Humanity is found in unexpected places as Butler subverts, complicates, and rewrites the expectations and rules of the common Western vampire trope. There is much to discuss about the moral quandaries this book offers. It was a challenging read and probably one of the more horrific books I've read to date.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Body horror, Child abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Racism, Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Hate crime
Moderate: Blood, Genocide, Classism, Gore, Torture, Physical abuse, Addiction, Slavery, Colonisation, and Racial slurs
cj13's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Narrator is a fifty-three-year-old vampire whose body looks like that of a prepubescent human child. The narrator has sex with several adult humans.tishtashohmygosh's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Octavia Butler expertly explores themes of racism and ageism—among others—in a take on vampires that I haven’t encountered before. The novel follows a young Ina named Shori who awakens in a cave heavily injured and with no memories. She learns of the history and culture of the Ina, the political ties between Ina families, and the conspiracy that led to her being injured in the first place.
Things I Liked:
The characters feel like authentic people rather than tropes or caricatures and the relationships they build with each other are engaging. There is LGBTQ+ representation in the cast of characters which is something I'm always seeking out. The pacing is consistent and at no point did it feel too fast or too slow to me. The world building is thorough and in depth and feels naturally integrated into the modern setting. It has the found family trope, which I am always on board for.
Disliked:
My primary dislike/discomfort with the novel comes from the explicit sexual scenes between a person who has the physical appearance of a 10-year-old (even though she is said to be 53 years old) and multiple adults. I know that this is an intentional discomfort, but it is something I wanted to mention also as a potential trigger warning.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Fledgling as much I have enjoyed reading some of Butler’s other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Blood and Violence
hannaashaffer's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.0
yeah i really thought there was going to be a comment about the child x adult relationship but there never was
the whole “this is looked down upon among humans but we accept you here”
i just really couldnt get past that part. i enjoyed it the farther into it however!
my first octavia e butler!! i am excited to read more by her after this, the storybuilding was amazing & i got attached to the characters by the end. except you wright.
the whole “this is looked down upon among humans but we accept you here”
i just really couldnt get past that part. i enjoyed it the farther into it however!
my first octavia e butler!! i am excited to read more by her after this, the storybuilding was amazing & i got attached to the characters by the end. except you wright.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Death
lucyatoz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler has been the most challenging read for me in the 52 Book Challenge. Yes, it is a original book focused around vampire lore and confronting many of the tired fables about them head on. It also tackles issues around identity and race in a novel way. However, I just did not gel with this book at all. It was not a book I could read before bed, which is my normal habit. Instead I read it over a long weekend and was glad that I have finished it but left feeling slight out of kilter, which I think is what the author was aiming for with this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Racial slurs
lydiature_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this one.
On one hand, I’d give it 4 ⭐️ just for the plot. It was a fast-paced story that intrigued me from the beginning to the end. It had the right amount of gore without being disgusting and creepy. I could definitely see this as an A24 movie (which I wouldn’t watch, because horror movies scare the hell out of me & I like my sleep).
My biggest gripe with this book, however, is Shori’s age. So technically she’s a 53 year old vampire, but she looks like a literal CHILD. As if that can’t be bad, she gets into SEXUAL relationships with ADULTS. And these adults (at least two of them—Wright and Theodora) are sexually attracted to her before knowing her actual age. So again, she LOOKS like a 10 year old child, but that doesn’t stop them from being sexually attracted to her. That’s disgusting. Now, you can say whatever you want, but objectively speaking, there is no reason for Shori to look like a child. Butler could have made her 18 even, but she didn’t. And like I said, I have a really big problem with that. That just poisoned the whole reading experience for me (and why I won’t ever give this more than 3 ⭐️).
As far as the characters—they were kinda bland, including Shori. Wright was kinda just there (and a whole creep). Shori didn’t really have any personality beyond: “I’m hungry! I’m horny! I can’t remember anything!” But she wasn’t annoying to the point where I couldn’t enjoy the actual storyline. Towards the 60%, there were way too many characters introduced. Lots of name-dropping but barely any development. I don’t think half of them were even that important to the plot. The ending was unsatisfying, almost like a cliff-hanger. I’m not sure if this is a series, but if it is, I 100% will NOT be reading it.
Would I recommend? Eh. Depends on your squeamishness regarding idk ~ cannibalism, potential incest, lots of blood, adjacent pedophilia. I found a book that Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer would love, but I don’t know what this says about me for finishing this (don’t tell my therapist).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism and Blood
Minor: Pedophilia
risaleel's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, and Genocide
Moderate: Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Racism, War, Violence, and Racial slurs
Minor: Gaslighting, Classism, Gore, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, and Drug use
linblythe_pub22's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder, Grief, Violence, Medical trauma, Blood, and Gun violence
halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
This is the first book I have ever read by Octavia E. Butler and I am over the MOON happy after reading this.
The MC is a Black Vampire whom is desirable, courageous, brave, unforgettable and a refreshing character. She wakes up in a cave in excruciating pain with no memory of what happened to her nor who she is. We come to know the world through her eyes and who she is as the story progresses. Along with help from those on the way.
I did mentally clutch my metaphoric pearls (especially while driving) listening to the audiobook. This is definitely more for mature audiences. It's so difficult to express my love for this novel without dumping spoilers. Just impossible.
Found family, my favorite trope, plays a major role in Fledgling and I could 100% relisten to this again and again.
The MC is a Black Vampire whom is desirable, courageous, brave, unforgettable and a refreshing character. She wakes up in a cave in excruciating pain with no memory of what happened to her nor who she is. We come to know the world through her eyes and who she is as the story progresses. Along with help from those on the way.
I did mentally clutch my metaphoric pearls (especially while driving) listening to the audiobook. This is definitely more for mature audiences. It's so difficult to express my love for this novel without dumping spoilers. Just impossible.
Found family, my favorite trope, plays a major role in Fledgling and I could 100% relisten to this again and again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Genocide
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
brynalexa's review
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Racism