liormaleficent's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Drug use, Cancer, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Death, Sexual violence, Genocide, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Suicide, and Confinement
queenclio's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? Yes
5.0
I adored this book! Butler's worldbuilding is phenomenal and thought-provoking. She puts her characters in challenging situations that keep me pondering long after I've put it down
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Minor: Rape and Child death
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.
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.
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
stefhyena's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.75
It was well written, interesting, unique and far too rapey for me. I don't think the intent was to make rape palatable but there was too much attempt to make consent more complex than I am ok with it being. Considering this was back in the 80s I sort of get it but the idea of "your words said yes but your body betrayed your real desires" is horrible, especially when it's against the best interests of the character. Butler does not make her own moral standpoint on that clear but it happens again and again and it's unpleasant to read about and I didn't feel it was a useful thought.
There are a couple of attempted rapes by human males and Lilith fights them as she does not fight other non-consensual stuff. The result is a "naturalisation" of rape. At one point we are told that the men were angry because being non-consensually taken by the aliens positioned them as women. Even if this is some sophisticated, ironic point Butler is making I don't find that useful. It just made me hate all the characters.
As far as Lilith goes I did invest in her early on and stayed more or less loyal even though I did not agree with things. Treating her as a character is if anything cruel optimism because any agancy she has turns out to be an illusion. To the aliens, for all they call humans "trading partners" what they are doing is colonising and enslaving them. This is possibly a good point to consider but then the humans in the book are evil and horrible too and it leaves you feeling like there is nothing to hope for or strive for - sentient life is just rotten. There are no good guys whatsoever in this.
As I said it was well written and easy to dip back into every time I got a free moment. I wanted to know what happens next because I wrongly thought (this being the first of a series) that we'd be given a moderately happy and hopeful ending.
There are a couple of attempted rapes by human males and Lilith fights them as she does not fight other non-consensual stuff. The result is a "naturalisation" of rape. At one point we are told that the men were angry because being non-consensually taken by the aliens positioned them as women. Even if this is some sophisticated, ironic point Butler is making I don't find that useful. It just made me hate all the characters.
As far as Lilith goes I did invest in her early on and stayed more or less loyal even though I did not agree with things. Treating her as a character is if anything cruel optimism because any agancy she has turns out to be an illusion. To the aliens, for all they call humans "trading partners" what they are doing is colonising and enslaving them. This is possibly a good point to consider but then the humans in the book are evil and horrible too and it leaves you feeling like there is nothing to hope for or strive for - sentient life is just rotten. There are no good guys whatsoever in this.
As I said it was well written and easy to dip back into every time I got a free moment. I wanted to know what happens next because I wrongly thought (this being the first of a series) that we'd be given a moderately happy and hopeful ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Rape, and Medical trauma
Minor: Suicide, War, and Suicide attempt
veganecurrywurst's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Eins der faszinierendsten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe. Ein Science-Ficton Buch, dass unglaublich wichtig Themen in der Gesellschaft durch einen neuen Blickwinkel anspricht: Geschlecht/Gender/Sex, sexuelle Gewalt und körperliche Autonomie, romantische Beziehungen, Kolonisierung, Hierarchien in der Gesellschaft und Ausgrenzung.
Es ist unglaublich gut geschrieben. Manchmal weiß man nicht was richtig oder falsch, was gut was böse und was gerechtfertigt und was unverzeihlich ist.
Das Buch ist auf jeden Fall empfehlenswert, man sollte sich aber vorher die Triggerwarings anschauen.
Die deutsche Übersetzung ist ganz okay, sollte aber bezüglich der Pronomen nochmal überarbeitet werden.
Es ist unglaublich gut geschrieben. Manchmal weiß man nicht was richtig oder falsch, was gut was böse und was gerechtfertigt und was unverzeihlich ist.
Das Buch ist auf jeden Fall empfehlenswert, man sollte sich aber vorher die Triggerwarings anschauen.
Die deutsche Übersetzung ist ganz okay, sollte aber bezüglich der Pronomen nochmal überarbeitet werden.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Racism, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Rape, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Medical content, Infertility, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Grief, Slavery, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Car accident, Death, and Cancer
lacyparrish's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
I read this for a Patreon-hosted book club. Being the first in a triology, it does decent worldbuilding, but I'm not so sure that it has the pacing to keep me going in the series. Not bad, not great ... I will have to wait a bit to decide if I will continue with the other two books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Colonisation, Violence, Confinement, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma
abbytait's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
My first read by Octavia Butler - I picked this up because I had heard that Octavia Butler was not only one of the best science fiction writers to ever write, and also one of the first black woman scifi authors, but was brilliant at leaving readers uncomfortable and bewildered.
And I can honestly say, it’s one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. It was compelling and uncomfortable and unnerving, and explored themes I never really thought about (cue interspecies reproduction). The writing is so vivid even when you kind of don’t want it to be? A really interesting piece of work that will leave me thinking for awhile.
And I can honestly say, it’s one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. It was compelling and uncomfortable and unnerving, and explored themes I never really thought about (cue interspecies reproduction). The writing is so vivid even when you kind of don’t want it to be? A really interesting piece of work that will leave me thinking for awhile.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement
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