A review by jnzllwgr
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

3.0

I’ve been delaying a report on this one. Vampires are not my go-to. I enjoyed the slight tweak of the canonical, immortal bloodsucking killers — here, they are long-living bloodsuckers, but not killers. But the genre just doesn’t get *my* —ahem— blood boiling. I’m reaching with my understanding that this is a novel written by a black American woman, knowing that themes of gender dynamics and racism play a role in her work. And I think I can make a good case that, beyond the obvious constructions within the tale, the overall arc is intended to be an analog for the experience of black people in America. I’ve not done any homework to verify, but a wiki page surely can confirm. With all those noble intentions, I still found the story a bit clunky, with unnecessary connective tissue between the major propulsive elements. It made it tedious and difficult to sustain interest. This is the second novel in this Library of America volume I’ve read. I maintain interest in reading the balance of the book, comprised of short stories. We’ll see!