Reviews

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

jargjarg's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense 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

4.0

epimetheus_b's review against another edition

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5.0

Character-driven historical sf of the first order, exploring themes of race and gender and relationships and death with layered subtlety.

peanutfor15yrs's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I struggled a lot with the basic morals and driving force of some of the characters. I was rooting for the protagonist but also hated half the choices made. So it made for a difficult read. 
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stephenvhenn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.0

While not my favorite, the characters are incredibly captivating and the world Butler builds is incredible. I'll continue reading the Patterns Saga simply to learn more about the characters and the world they inhabit.

gatlingxyz's review against another edition

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3.0

... so much happened.

patti66's review against another edition

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fast-paced

5.0

unpetitcreux's review against another edition

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3.0

I am thoroughly perplexed by how to review this book. On one hand I found it well-written, enjoyed the story's flow, and was intrigued by the darker elements that prompts readers to consider humankind's' desire to categorize, understand, and control everything.

On the other hand.... I just read a novel that portrays the sexual, physical, and psychological submission of a 'strong' female to a man.... then, she (spoilers) manages to gain some control back when she (surprise surprise) decides to kill herself. Then the man cries a few tears and she's like "yup, he's learned his lesson. I guess I can be alive again". If that hadn't been the entire storyline, I would have been much happier.

So, okay, it's well-written... but can we at least stop pretending that this book portrays anything but a stereotypical, weak female character dealing with a thoroughly abusive partner?

P.S. It is possible I completely misunderstood this book's point... but that doesn't change that I had a hard time stomaching this story.

sienna8's review against another edition

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  • 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

samipeterson's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

criddles_books's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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