A review by jotoide
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

challenging dark reflective 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? No

3.75

What I liked

• The Ina and their customs are incredibly interesting in the ways that they differ from what is considered normal for humans. I liked the way their society felt fully fleshed out and alive. Having Shori lose her memories is a nice excuse for explaining the inner workings of the Ina
• I very much liked Shori as a character, she's blunt and intelligent and doesn't take crap from anyone and while she isn't unaffected she doesn't let her memory loss bring her down
• The fact that the Ina are kinda polyamorous and the relationships they have with their symbionts
• How truly alone Shori is in the  world. There's no one that can quite understand what she is and what she is going thru. Even while some people choose her side in the conflict with the Silks they did so more because the Silks lied and not because they thought that what they did was wrong. 
• Shori's frustration at not knowing herself or anything about the Ina felt very realistic and relatable to me 

What I didn't like(or didn't necessarily care for)

• Too many characters, I had a hard time remembering who was who and, because of this very reason, I feel that, in particular, Shori's symbionts and their relationship with her felt a little underdeveloped
• The writing style was not my favorite. It's my first time reading Octavia E. Butler and I can't say that I particularly care for her writing style, if this book is how it is. It wasn't bad or bothersome but I sometimes feel that it was too sparse, though I will say sometimes that sparcity delivered really good lines.
• I feel the pacing was a bit weird, like the truly important and interesting things were happening more towards the end. The fist part of the book was a bit of a slog because things weren't moving as much

Conclusions
It was a good book, but I expeccted a bit more. To me, what stood out the most about this book is Butler's skill at developing a culture completely unknown but so distinct and alive. It made me want to check out her other books.