Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Fledgling

yeah i really thought there was going to be a comment about the child x adult relationship but there never was
the whole “this is looked down upon among humans but we accept you here”
i just really couldnt get past that part. i enjoyed it the farther into it however!
my first octavia e butler!! i am excited to read more by her after this, the storybuilding was amazing & i got attached to the characters by the end. except you wright.

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anothersarah's review against another edition

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4.5

This book is really hard to rate because everything about it was amazing and brilliant.... except Butler's choice to have Shori present as a 10 year old child, that was a constant issue for me. I'm sure she did that with purpose, she was such a brilliant writer, but at the end it was a matter of how much I'd knock off of an otherwise 5⭐ read.

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lucyatoz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler has been the most challenging read for me in the 52 Book Challenge. Yes, it is a original book focused around vampire lore and confronting many of the tired fables about them head on. It also tackles issues around identity and race in a novel way. However, I just did not gel with this book at all. It was not a book I could read before bed, which is my normal habit. Instead I read it over a long weekend and was glad that I have finished it but left feeling slight out of kilter, which I think is what the author was aiming for with this novel.

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athnyx230's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious fast-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? Yes

5.0

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i_mina_i's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

It's clear that this story was only just beginning, and it's tragic we'll never find out where it was going. Still an interesting and engaging read, well worth your time.

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takemetomilos's review against another edition

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tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

another book that is going to stick with me- I need to reflect further on the themes and messaging beyond what a first casual read can give, but wow, what a book.

The Atlantic has a fantastic article about it which is helpful is clarifying the authors intentions in upsetting the consent dynamics - shori’s physical presentation and sexual relationship is definitely wildly uncomfortable, but knowing Butler as an author is to know that nothing is without reason. The complains of pedophilia are entirely reasonable and turn a lot of people away from this book, and would have for me if I was not so confident in Butler’s voice.

https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/02/fledgling-octavia-butler-reissue-consent/621420/

(Moving review down from 5.0 to 4.25 stars- horror aspects didn’t stick with me as much, wish consent dynamics were explored further)

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gellyreads's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a hard rating to give. As per usual, with Butler’s work, there are some really dark, twisted, and traumatic topics. But they’re always there for a reason. I think the main thing that I find enjoyable about this work is the unique perspective of the vampire for. And I love the vampire politics that happen, especially at the end of the novel. This ended up being pretty fun, after a rocky start.

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