2.3k reviews for:

Wild Seed

Octavia E. Butler

4.18 AVERAGE

dark mysterious 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: Complicated
adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

I knew about Octavia Butler, but I hadn't actually read anything she had written. I'm so glad I did! I finished this book in a 24 hour period. It's amazing.
adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

Apparently lots of readers hate Doro with an intense zealousness, but I found him to be gradually more understandable as the book went on. The possibility of living forever obviously is not fathomable to me, and I found that I learned more about why he is the way he is based on his forced immortality.

Aside from that, I also love the alternate world created in the book. Not loved like I wanted to be in it, but it held a fascination for me much like Panem of hunger games. Overall I have to admire Octavia for the creativity and details of this book, as well as the depth and familiarity with which one knows Doro and Anyanwu at the end of it.
adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

One of my favorite books ever! I'm obsessed with the main character and her powers. Immortal? check. Self-healing? Check. Physical transforming abilities? Check.

Meh.

The bizarre sexual undertones and the "sex slave" aspect seemed... boring, cliched, and frankly unerotic. For the main character, Anyanwu, being such a strong woman, her motives behind agreeing to the entire situation seemed empty.
adventurous dark emotional reflective fast-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

Fascinating, disturbing, thought-provoking, beautiful.

To have science fiction where the science fiction is not centered on technology but on biology and anthropology…. Is to be reminded of the possibilities beyond the narrow categories we have been taught are normal. And Octavia Butler’s writing is so beautiful even as she writes about horrors.