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chrobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
As someone who has been obsessed with vampire stories since I was a pre-teen, raised on Anne Rice, I always knew that vampire stories were allegories for sexual desire, lust, consent, etc. Many vampire stories are written as romantic fantasies of women losing agency, but wanting it so badly… romanticizing age gaps, enthrallment, violent acts of all natures, always coming back to pleasure, repressed sexuality. Just look at Twilight... Butler takes all of these themes, flips them around, and makes you look hard at them, very plainly - which for me adds to the discomfort. And while many claim she didn’t address the pedophilia appropriately, I think that her ability to make you so very uncomfortable in so few words is a part of this matter-of-fact horror.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
charrlee's review against another edition
- 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
This is a text that will have you traversing the themes of blackness & fugitivity and hybridity & "naturalness" while questioning who assumes the role of monsters. Humanity is found in unexpected places as Butler subverts, complicates, and rewrites the expectations and rules of the common Western vampire trope. There is much to discuss about the moral quandaries this book offers. It was a challenging read and probably one of the more horrific books I've read to date.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism
happinessie's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder
cj13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Narrator is a fifty-three-year-old vampire whose body looks like that of a prepubescent human child. The narrator has sex with several adult humans.linblythe_pub22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, and Murder
marareading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Shori is a 52 yr old vampire that appears to humans as a 10-12 year old girl. The way thay sexuality is discussed with her gabe me a BIG ICK. It honestly made it very hard for me to get through the book at all. Despite that we do learn that she is in fact 53 in vampire years, the author hammers home REPEATEDLY that she presents as a small child. Yet adults of both genders continually sexualize openly. It was something I couldn't get past throughout the book. Without this portion of the story I would have loved it, but I can't get past it.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
hayleyvharrington's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction and Xenophobia
cyrinw98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
candycain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Pedophilia and Racial slurs
Minor: Gun violence
zgc's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Body horror and Racial slurs