isabelh0410 's review for:

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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An excellent discourse regarding race and sexuality. Shori is a Black vampire (Ina), the only one, her family has spent centuries and generations genetically experimenting to create a perfect vampire. Due to her dark skin, Shori can withstand sunlight, a quality that Ina has long coveted. The issue of racial purity comes into play when some Ina show hatred for Shori - not only is she Black but she's part human. Shori must discover who would go to great lengths to destroy her family to ensure Ina's supremacy. Butler invites her readers to examine race and justice systems through her vampires. She creates an entire culture, language, and history as a means of analysis. It is truly Butler's last gift.

"That was the other thing about vampires. They were fictional beings. Folklore. There were no vampires. 
So what was I?"