Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

50 reviews

another_dahlia's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Rape, Death, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Child abuse, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Sexism, Animal death, and Child death

leighsnerdlife's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Blood

axel_p's review against another edition

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

4.0

I hate Wright with a burning passion. This book got to repetitive at times.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Incest, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Ableism, Gaslighting, Genocide, Classism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Adult/minor relationship

mothfemme's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

The more I think about this the more I realize it just wasn’t for me. Which is a bummer, because I really wanted to like this! I’ve been meaning to read Octavia Butler ever since I began working as a bookseller, and since I’m so obsessed with vampires I thought there was no way I wouldn’t love this. Unfortunately, I was wrong. 

Mostly, I was just bored. She introduced such a refreshing take on the vampire mythos, yet applied it to characters that bored me to tears. I would have loved to see more time spent on the intention behind the genetic experimentation Shori was subjected to, but that storyline was dead before it arrived, literally! 

Also, the pedophilic overtones were not something I could get past. The more I think about it, the grosser I feel. I understand her intention with including it, I just don’t agree with it. At all. 

Sadly it might be a while before I try another one of her books. :/ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent

birdie770's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Blood

adiajamille's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I found that i definitely wanted to see where it was going, but that it felt a bit dry. I supposed it’s because Shuri isn’t human and therefore doesn’t speak, think, or process like a human. I thought it was a great introduction to a new series (if that were the intent) and sad, because this one could definitely build into something really exciting. 


I thought a bigger issue than Shuri’s appearance was the excessive ableism displayed during the final chapters of the book. 

The continued discussion around Shuri’s appearance is interesting considering there are real human adults that have genetic conditions that make them appear as children. I would love to find out the reasoning behind Shuri’s appearance, although I felt it was thoroughly explained. (Potential spoilers)
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The part I felt curious about, and I’ll have to look in the book as I listened on audiobook and wasn’t able to rewind at the time, I’d was Wright actually a pedophile? I swear there was allusion to it. 

Overall I think this book brought up a lot of things that need to be examined. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gaslighting, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, and Violence

maregred's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Slavery and Grief

galaxyelfjess's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

Good book for the first half, second half wasn't as good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Racism

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Death of parent

The main character (who is a 53-yearbook vampire in the body of a 10 year old) engages in a relationship with a 23-year-old and has sex with him. There is racism towards the end of the book with the use of insults and racial slurs from a white character to the black MC

takemetomilos's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent and Grief

Minor: Racial slurs

risaleel's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, and Genocide

Moderate: Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Racism, War, Violence, and Racial slurs

Minor: Gaslighting, Classism, Gore, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, and Drug use