Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

13 reviews

kenrya's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I love the writing, but I hate one of the main characters. I am eager to finish this series and move on to a new world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bilal_shumuus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Colonisation

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and War

bonriki's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, and Abandonment

Minor: Cannibalism

peachmoni's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Infertility, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, and Abortion

abmochapman's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

this just confirms octavia butler is a FREAK

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Cannibalism, and Murder

m_petranoff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, and War

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Abortion, and Colonisation

Like many of Butler's books, this is a challenging look at the nature of humanity. It is dark and about how easy it can be to lose ones humanity, but not as challenging to read as some of her other novels. There are a lot of content warnings, and only a few are graphic, but the theme of the book itself is engaging with challenging themes.

amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

I can't even with this book. This was my first Octavia Butler book, and it was INTENSE. It's like Butler looked at every possible taboo and was like let's do this.  Slavery, yes. Eugenics, yes. Murder for compliance, yes. Incest, yes. 

 Anyanwu is a woman in Africa who can shapeshift and heal her self and others. Doro is an ancient "something" that can inhabit other bodies he kills. This book explores their dynamic as two people outside of time. 

Doro is one of darkest, nastiest villains in any book I have ever read. Check the trigger warnings. If you decided to read, go with god/the gods/your own convictions.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

lasafica_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

storyorc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As much and as often as I wanted to condemn characters in this book, they're written with such rich humanity that it would feel hypocritical. Butler holds your eyelids open, Clockwork Orange style, to the ugliness of a soul under impossible strain until you admit you feel for them. Wild Seed does not sidestep the racial tensions of 1600s-1800s Africa and America either, but rather lets it inform and enrich the more insular struggles of these little communities of enhanced humans. Our main characters, Anyanwu and Doro, are immortal shapeshifters (though in thematically very different ways) and therefore make for an incredible vehicle to grasp at the ever-shifting, ever-evolving nature of humanity with all its flaws and spirit. Many side characters tug on the heartstrings as well.

Wild Seed does take its time but the effect is mesmerising rather than dull. I read it in two sittings, faster than I've read much shorter novels. It's also a world apart from the usual sci-fi novels I read from this era in terms of queer acceptance (and obviously feminism and anti-fascism). These shapeshifters are practical enough to be mostly unfazed by sex between all kinds of different bodies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, and Colonisation

Minor: Ableism and Pedophilia

These topics are not presented uncritically at all.

ce_read's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy

Minor: War