Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

7 reviews

malessia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? No

4.25

Alien sex made me uncomfortable ngl

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Rape, and Medical trauma

Minor: Suicide, War, and Suicide attempt

haylzno's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

5.0

By far my favorite of the trilogy. I loved following Lillith and her moral struggles (not the focus in books 2 & 3) 

I loved the introduction to the Oankali, their world, their customs, and their demands of the surviving humans. 

Truly, Octavia Butler is a genius.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Genocide

allyreindl33's review

medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Body horror

Minor: Sexual assault and Suicide attempt

thenonbinaryc's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Car accident, Suicide attempt, Rape, Kidnapping, War, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Incest, Sexual content, and Child death

lisaradocchia's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

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

4.5

Some parts were disturbing, but I loved it. Will be reading more of this series/author. Gave it a half-star off because of chosen-one trope that serves the narrative but is nevertheless infuriating to read. Otherwise, a flawless story that drew me in from the first chapter and 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, War, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, and Xenophobia

thatdistantlake's review

adventurous dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia