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paperback_dragon 's review for:
Adulthood Rites
by Octavia E. Butler
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was initially annoyed that the narrator switched from Lilith to her son Akin, but by the end, it feels necessary to convey the core theme of the book.
Like Dawn, Adulthood Rites is about xenophobia and cultural homogenizing, but this time, takes the time to explain and (somewhat) legitimize the fears of the resisting Humans. Despite all the Oankali offer them, they cannot accept this “genetic union” because, to do so, would forsake the Human species as a unique identity.
What makes this book special is how much humility it asks of it’s reader. Chapter after chapter, the reader is told and shown how disasterous the Human Contradiction is. The Oankali are convinced that nothing will ever change our need to control and dominate one another, and, given our current world, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
But in the end, like Akin, the reader cannot escape this feeling of naive hope of a second chance for humanity. That we can finally use our vast intelligence for good and the betterment of us all, if only given the chance.
Like Dawn, Adulthood Rites is about xenophobia and cultural homogenizing, but this time, takes the time to explain and (somewhat) legitimize the fears of the resisting Humans. Despite all the Oankali offer them, they cannot accept this “genetic union” because, to do so, would forsake the Human species as a unique identity.
What makes this book special is how much humility it asks of it’s reader. Chapter after chapter, the reader is told and shown how disasterous the Human Contradiction is. The Oankali are convinced that nothing will ever change our need to control and dominate one another, and, given our current world, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
But in the end, like Akin, the reader cannot escape this feeling of naive hope of a second chance for humanity. That we can finally use our vast intelligence for good and the betterment of us all, if only given the chance.