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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Book Review: Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler
"You controlled both animals and people by controlling their reproduction—controlling it absolutely."
"Then let them fail. Let them have the freedom to do that, at least."
I highlighted so many quotes in this book, but these two won’t leave me alone.
Because really—what is freedom if your own biology is working against you? If someone with power believes they’re saving you from yourself, how do you know they aren’t right? And even if they are right, does that make it okay?
That’s the question at the core of Adulthood Rites: agency, freedom, consent, choice, and the “Human Contradiction”—the idea that we are, on a genetic level, destined to destroy ourselves. And if that’s true, what does it even mean to be human?
Akin’s Journey: The Bridge Between Two Worlds
Unlike Dawn, which followed Lilith’s reluctant adaptation to the Oankali’s control, Adulthood Rites shifts to Akin—her son, and the first male human-Oankali hybrid. He’s supposed to be the bridge between species, the proof that humanity and the Oankali can merge into something better.
But Akin sees what the Oankali refuse to acknowledge: humans may be flawed, but they deserve the right to make their own mistakes. The Oankali don’t see themselves as conquerors; they see themselves as saviors. They insist they’re offering humanity a future free from its self-destructive nature.
But their version of salvation means sterilization. It means taking away reproductive freedom. It means dictating who gets to pass on their genes and how the species will evolve.
And this is where things get deeply unsettling—because we’ve seen this before.
The Questions That Won’t Let Me Go
This book doesn’t let you sit comfortably. It forces you to think about history, about science, about the ethics of power.
- What does it mean to be human? Is it our biology? Our ability to choose, even if that choice leads to disaster?
- Is consent real when the alternative is extinction? If the Oankali are right—that without their intervention, humanity will destroy itself—does it matter if humans never agreed to their help?
- What separates a savior from an oppressor? The Oankali operate from a purely biological perspective. They see themselves as removing the problem at its source. But so did Nazi geneticists. So has every group in history that has believed they were "fixing" humanity through forced control.
And that’s what makes Adulthood Rites so compelling—it doesn’t turn the Oankali into villains. Their logic is sound. Their methods make sense. But does that make them right?
How This Stacks Up to Dawn
I found Adulthood Rites easier to read than Dawn—partly because Akin’s story felt more dynamic, but also because I wasn’t as overwhelmed by the Oankali’s worldbuilding this time around.
Lilith’s story was about enduring in the face of powerlessness. Akin’s is about challenging the very foundation of that power. Not just surviving, but questioning whether survival at any cost is worth it.
And that made this book hit harder.
Final Thoughts
I still don’t know where I land on some of these questions. I don’t find the Oankali horrifying. I find their methods cold, clinical, and logical. And as a scientist, I understand that. The naturalist perspective—where biology determines purpose, where genes dictate future—isn’t inherently evil. It’s just fact.
But history has shown us where this kind of thinking can lead. And that is what lingers long after finishing this book.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But read Dawn first—Butler’s world is too layered to jump in halfway.
And now, onto Imago. Because I need to see how this all ends.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
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:
Yes
Not as compelling as Book 1 but still incredible.
adventurous
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
A bizarre and astutely critical portrayal of humanity, and the juxtaposition between its innate desire for survival and community and its seemingly inescapable tendency towards violence and self destruction.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced