Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

19 reviews

re_rick's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Rape

ithinkiamcelia's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, Racism, Homophobia, and Sexual violence

lavenderdolmeh's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

I am disturbed :) check the trigger warnings, everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Xenophobia, and Death

Minor: Transphobia, Homophobia, Child death, Racism, and War

bibliobaggins_'s review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Colonisation and Rape

Minor: Racism

eyebrightt_'s review against another edition

mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, Death, and Xenophobia

Minor: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and War

rivaina's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Racism

mfrank's review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• 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

Wow, this was a tough book to read. I really loved it, but didn't expect anything that happened in it at the same time. It was an amazing exploration of what it means to be human and what defines humanity. I do want to forewarn anyone getting into this book that there is a lot of references to sexual assault. I wouldn't say it's graphic(I've definitely read worse), but even knowing the dark themes of the book I wasn't expecting it to be quite so frequent. It's kind of funny that there seems to be this thread of hope throughout the book that humans aren't bad and that the Oankali are destroying humanity, meanwhile there is very little that makes you want to defend the greater population of humans shown throughout the book, which could very well be the point.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Sexism and Racism

blazingquill's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

This is a disturbing read that creates a horrific story about breaches in consent and the abuse of colonization. It asks the question, “what are you able to do when you’re helpless?” then weaves a complex answer considering love, hate, and resistance. It’s a story that could not have come from another author, and I think is an important read. 

That being said, despite its discussion of gender, it maintains a very cis and straight perspective throughout, which effected my reading of the book. There is also a very complex relationship that edges into both abuse and pedophilia that I think was intended to be read as disturbing but I know could be interpreted differently. Heavy content warnings as well for: nonconsensual procedures, noncon relationships, rape, forced sterilization, and sensory deprivation torture.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Rape, Xenophobia, Cancer, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, Violence, and Cancer

Minor: Genocide, Incest, War, Child death, Car accident, Infertility, and Torture

alspacedout's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

"[Butler] wasn't writing romance or feel-good novels, she was writing very difficult, brilliant work." 
--
Stunning piece of speculative fiction that I hated reading. Worth it, but it will squick you out. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Murder, Racism, and Rape

The Oankali are a species that either physically and conceptually can't understand consent, or just have no interest in understanding it. If you are triggered by intimate partner violence, coercion, manipulation, this will be a ROUGH read, it was very, very uncomfortable.

sefercakee's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Genocide, Racism, Homophobia, Xenophobia, and War