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bisexualwentworth'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
4.5
However, I think that reading this book only one year out from when the beginning of it is set means that I also saw all of the ways in which this is NOT entirely the current trajectory of this country, or at least not one we're going to reach as quickly as Butler thought (thank goodness for small mercies or something I suppose?).
I love the journal entry format. I loved Lauren as a narrator. She's so intelligent and observant and sensitive and yet still so young, and that combination of factors means that she is very frank about the state of the world in a way that does a great service to us as readers.
This book broke my heart and made me angry. It made me get attached to characters without even realizing it and then ripped them away from me--and what a familiar feeling that is.
The cast does get quite bloated toward the end, and I almost feel like the book might have benefitted from a couple more chapters.
I think this is the first dystopian book I've read that mentioned tampons. And the gun presence was oh so very American.
The way this book handles race and gender is so sensitive and so REAL. God Octavia E. Butler was amazing.
I will definitely be reading the sequel soon.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Violence, Domestic abuse, Murder, Animal death, Child death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Slavery, Trafficking, Classism, Homophobia, Racism, and Rape
Additional warning for a relationship with a really big age gap (older adult and eighteen-year-old), plus I'm sure I'm missing other potentially triggering content. Basically, read this book with care. It is VERY heavy.gmortg3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Stalking, Incest, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Body horror, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, War, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Slavery, Colonisation, Hate crime, Suicide, Trafficking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
cuddlygryphon's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Slavery
Moderate: Death of parent, Excrement, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Vomit, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Gore, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Domestic abuse, Grief, Excrement, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, Incest, Cannibalism, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Drug use, Murder, Pregnancy, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
elia_elizabeth_'s review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Cannibalism, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Slavery, Abandonment, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, and Rape
starccato's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Trafficking
anntharai's review
- 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
4.5
The writing is engaging, the story devastating, and the whole concept deeply thought provoking.
So much of this story is terrifying and stomach churning and yet ….
Depressingly unsurprising.
Maybe that’s cynical but, or maybe it’s just a shame.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
therainbowshelf's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Xenophobia