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natalie_mh 's review for:
Parable of the Talents
by Octavia E. Butler
Excellent. Gripping. Devastating. This was so good. Octavia Butler takes characters you've been with since Parable of the Sower and puts them through the wringer. Some die, some disappear to meet uncertain ends, and some have resolved stories. I liked how the copy I read had an interview with her at the end; she talked about how hard it was to take the happy ending of the previous book and smash it to pieces. The middle part of this book when things were at their bleakest was a hard read, I recommend looking into the content warnings (I don't trust I'll catch them all if I try to list them, but the main book page should have 'em!)
In particular I enjoyed how the story was told in layers, with Lauren's daughter adding her own experiences and present thoughts to Lauren's letters of the past. There were also a few letters from other characters as well, adding more depth. The characters were complex, and their feelings toward one another (particularly Lauren and her daughter) were an interesting tangle.
Reading a dystopia set around the same time as the current year was strange. There were some things that felt too close to reality!
In particular I enjoyed how the story was told in layers, with Lauren's daughter adding her own experiences and present thoughts to Lauren's letters of the past. There were also a few letters from other characters as well, adding more depth. The characters were complex, and their feelings toward one another (particularly Lauren and her daughter) were an interesting tangle.
Reading a dystopia set around the same time as the current year was strange. There were some things that felt too close to reality!