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perg_ie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Haunting and excellent. A near future dystopia that feels closer every day.
samuel_90_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
matconnor's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this much more than I did. You have to respect Octavia Butler's imagination and prescience. This novel was first published in 1993 and describes the United States in 2024: Society is falling apart due to climate change, inequality, and water shortages. This is a dystopian vision that feels scarily realistic.
In my opinion, there were two major issues with this book.
1. The main character (Lauren) suffers from an imaginary disease called "hyperempathy", a condition where a person physically feels the pleasure and pain of others, but Butler makes the curious decision to portray her as completely flat and unemotional. Lauren is constantly reminding us about her debilitating empathic condition but recites terrible events like murder and rape as if she were an unfeeling robot.
It would be like if an unfunny person was constantly telling you that people found them hilarious or a boring person talking about all the people who find them charming.
2. This is an epistolary novel, told through Lauren's Journal entries, and the format saps most of the tension out of this novel. There are great epistolary novels (Frankenstein, Carrie, Augustus by John Williams), but Lauren's flat journal entries made this a tedious read.
I'm not going to give up on Octavia Butler though. I still have copies of Kindred and Dawn I plan to get to. But based on the expectations I had going in, this was my most disappointing read of 2023.
In my opinion, there were two major issues with this book.
1. The main character (Lauren) suffers from an imaginary disease called "hyperempathy", a condition where a person physically feels the pleasure and pain of others, but Butler makes the curious decision to portray her as completely flat and unemotional. Lauren is constantly reminding us about her debilitating empathic condition but recites terrible events like murder and rape as if she were an unfeeling robot.
It would be like if an unfunny person was constantly telling you that people found them hilarious or a boring person talking about all the people who find them charming.
2. This is an epistolary novel, told through Lauren's Journal entries, and the format saps most of the tension out of this novel. There are great epistolary novels (Frankenstein, Carrie, Augustus by John Williams), but Lauren's flat journal entries made this a tedious read.
I'm not going to give up on Octavia Butler though. I still have copies of Kindred and Dawn I plan to get to. But based on the expectations I had going in, this was my most disappointing read of 2023.
melitrophium's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Scarily contemporary for a book that was published in 1993 (especially because the setting starts in 2024).
"I was looking for God,” I said. “I wasn’t looking for mythology or mysticism or magic. I didn’t know whether there was a god to find, but I wanted to know. God would have to be a power that could not be defied by anyone or anything.”
“Change.”
“Change, yes,”
Interestingly enough, my beliefs share a lot with the religion the main character is founding. Although I'm not a fan of religion, and if I'm turning to a metaphysical word I'd sooner call it magic than god. She seems to sort of agree with this:
“Earthseed deals with ongoing reality, not with supernatural authority figures. Worship is no good without action. With action, it’s only useful if it steadies you, focuses your efforts, eases your mind.”
Overall I loved the worldbuilding. The pace was a bit too slow for my liking. The characters could sometimes feel flat, but that's to be expected since they aren't very free to act and feel (being constantly in dire situations and all). I have high hopes for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Grief, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, and Animal death
Minor: Racism, Incest, and Police brutality
nyara's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.75
nickf115's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
ceetamarie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
- 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
5.0
laprofesora's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
selkietoes's review against another edition
5.0
This book is amazing and beautiful. It's a little too real at times and can trigger a really uncomfortable sense of foreboding. But it also gives a sense of hope for the ability of people coming together in community to make a change, even a small one.
Everyone should read this book.
Everyone should read this book.
olbeelaine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0