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kylamunoz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Gun violence, Murder, Drug use, Animal death, Death of parent, Death, and Child death
zydecovivo's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Police brutality, and War
Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Slavery
bookishevy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The story starts in July 2024. Teenager Lauren Olamina and her family live in a gated community just outside Los Angeles. Beyond their wall is total social chaos. Diseases, drugs, everythjng's expensive, especially water, which has become scarce due to climate change. There's hardly any work, so vagabonds steal, kill, and set things and people on fire. On top of all this, Lauren suffers from hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extra sensitive to others' sensations Their community does all it can to keep dangers from breaching its barriers, but when things get dire, Lauren and survivors must venture outside and make their way north with hopes of a better future.
This is a different kind of book from Butler. It's science fiction, but, for me, with the exception of Lauren's ability to physically feel what others feel, it's too real. The world Butler envisions in 2024 is scary, and although we're not there yet, I can see it happening. Lauren's odyssey takes her and others she meets while migrating to northern California through many dangers. Everyone she meets has a story about what led to them hitting the road. Themes of these stories include racism, classism and slavery. The story paints a bleak picture of the future of humans. TW: violence, rape, canibalism. And Lauren feels everything around her. A disability.
But in a world that breeds hopelessness, Lauren is still optimistic about the future and is working on building a community that will live on principles she discovered. Even with all the anarchy around them, Lauren and her people still find ways to be kind and love on one another, which is hard to envision, because I was like, "How can they be having sex while surrounded by death?" But you know what? In situations like those, you have to grab happiness wherever and whenever you find it. Lauren's outlook and her willingness to trust others gave me hope, which is good because this is all very possible. LOL!
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Cannibalism, and Child abuse
ams5x9's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Sexual assault, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Abandonment, Blood, and Animal death
Minor: Incest, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Cannibalism, Racism, and Police brutality
thirdtimesacharm's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
Moderate: Drug use, Child abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Slavery, Racial slurs, and Child death
Minor: Vomit
nogoodtulip's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Addiction, Drug use, and Xenophobia
rauvolfia's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Sexual violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Slavery, Child death, Animal death, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
reneerianne's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cannibalism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Addiction
pola_reads's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Gore, Gun violence, and Police brutality
maggiegirouard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Cannibalism, Sexual content, Suicide, Sexual assault, Addiction, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Animal death, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Drug abuse, Rape, Murder, Sexual harassment, Violence, Blood, and Gun violence