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A review by chakgilbert
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Shori wakes up in a cave with amnesia. She doesn't know how she got there, but she knows she is severely hurt. She is in and out of consciousness but wakes up hungry and knows she needs fresh meat. The meat comes to her. She sleeps and recovers enough to go hunting. Her skin is sensitive to the sun. When Shori is well enough, she explores and finds a burned-down home. She finds some clothes. Wright comes across her on the road. He sees a young, black, and injured girl. He tries to help. In her fear, Shori bites Wright, and that is when we learn she may be a vampire.
The first couple of chapters pulled me into the story. It made me uncomfortable, and that's why I would not recommend this book to everyone. Shori looks like a 10 or 11-year-old, but she is 53. Wright's interaction with her and the sexual nature of vampires and their bite make the reader uncomfortable. It is an extremely hard read if you can't get past that. The novel explores themes of race, identity, and the challenges of understanding one's nature in a hostile world. It also delves into power and consent.
In a way, this book reminded me of Sky Full of Elephants, not because of the content but the "what if" question the books explore. This book explores what if melanin was the way for vampires to have more freedom. Would the same prejudices they have lived through impact their society? How does one find one's identity when the society around them is hostile to them? The questions that this story brought to mind made me like the book more than I would have without it. I did not enjoy the amount of exposition in the story instead of showing it. Butler told me the differences between the Council of Judgment and our court system, even though the last part of the book showed me. The explanation could have been cut.
It seemed that maybe this book could have been the start of a series. The way it ends leaves enough room for more stories to be born out of it. If this was Butler's worst book, then I can't wait to get into the rest because I truly enjoyed this. I would not mind discussing this book with others.
The first couple of chapters pulled me into the story. It made me uncomfortable, and that's why I would not recommend this book to everyone. Shori looks like a 10 or 11-year-old, but she is 53. Wright's interaction with her and the sexual nature of vampires and their bite make the reader uncomfortable. It is an extremely hard read if you can't get past that. The novel explores themes of race, identity, and the challenges of understanding one's nature in a hostile world. It also delves into power and consent.
In a way, this book reminded me of Sky Full of Elephants, not because of the content but the "what if" question the books explore. This book explores what if melanin was the way for vampires to have more freedom. Would the same prejudices they have lived through impact their society? How does one find one's identity when the society around them is hostile to them? The questions that this story brought to mind made me like the book more than I would have without it. I did not enjoy the amount of exposition in the story instead of showing it. Butler told me the differences between the Council of Judgment and our court system, even though the last part of the book showed me. The explanation could have been cut.
It seemed that maybe this book could have been the start of a series. The way it ends leaves enough room for more stories to be born out of it. If this was Butler's worst book, then I can't wait to get into the rest because I truly enjoyed this. I would not mind discussing this book with others.