Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Wilde Saat by Octavia E. Butler

21 reviews

saltycoffee's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Colonisation, Death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Slavery

fairyollie's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

what I love most about this book- despite it being Octavia Butler, of course- is that despite it being a prequel providing the backstory to the primary villain, it makes no attempt to redeem Doro. because she can't. at all! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Blood, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Cursing, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Stalking, Torture, Trafficking, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Drug use, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, and Drug abuse

aegagrus's review against another edition

3.5

The most captivating aspect of Wild Seed is the remarkable way in which Butler has imagined Anyanwu and Doro. Each immortal struggles with their own exceptional power in fascinating ways, confronting their abilities' depths and limitations, the costs of exercising such abilities, and the ways in which their power sets them apart from their own identity and from the world around them. They make a good pair: there is a streak of idealism and humanity in the generally malevolent Doro, and there is a streak of bloodlust in the generally beneficent Anyanwu. As a character, each is quite unique, making for remarkable and unexpected developments in their relationship. Doro's movements through the book, in particular, are sinister and frightening, all the more so because he is not a monochromatic antagonist. Anyanwu's acts of resistance, in turn, are all the more compelling because she is never able to shake a degree of complicity.

The story's morally ambiguous conclusion serves these tensions well.

Though gripping, Wild Seed also has hefty things to say about history and society. Butler's exploration of slavery through the extended analogy of Doro's breeding projects is always interesting and emotionally affecting. Her exploration of gender dynamics through the immortals' relationship (perverse, but still resonant with reality) is also generally of interest. Her gestures towards LGBT themes feel comparatively shallow and don't to me seem to add very much, despite the obvious potential in both main characters' gender-mobile personages. Themes relating to history and inevitability are occasionally curious ancillaries to more central themes, but are often inessential.

Wild Seed is well-written, striking a good balance between literary heft and engaging storytelling. At times, dialogue feels a little forced, and I was not entirely satisfied with the pacing in the third act. In general, though, this was a gripping read, and the sheer uniqueness of Doro and Anyanwu's relationship was of great value to me as a reader. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Grief

Moderate: Incest, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Suicide, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

thenonbinaryc's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Slavery, Murder, Incest, Grief, Rape, Suicide, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Death, Abortion, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

simareading's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual violence, Self harm, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Incest, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Death, Deadnaming, Confinement, Colonisation, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, and Abandonment

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Transphobia, and Violence

eli_is_trying's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, Toxic relationship, Murder, Child death, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Trafficking, Slavery, and Pedophilia

Minor: Abortion, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

alsoapples's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Medical content

amberinbookland's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Ugh guys I wanted to like this more than I did. I love Octavia E. Butler, especially her Parable series and Kindred. This was written in her typical gorgeous style, and I thought the writing was incredible. I also liked Anwanyu as a character for the most part. The themes explored were deep, emotional, and probably went over my head in places (story of my life). However, I HATE DORO AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL. My hatred severely impacted my enjoyment of the story and I couldn't get over it no matter how hard I tried. WOMP womp. Super disappointed in my lack of hype. I think I will be picking up the next one though, hoping maybe Doro doesn't suck ass in that one?

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence