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A review by maurareads13
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
2.5
⭐️2.5⭐️ I went into this book not having any idea what to expect. I’ve never read an Octavia Butler work, so this was new territory. I’m also not a vampire aficionado, having only read Twilight & ADOW, so I decided to take a step outside of my comfort zone.
What I liked- Ms Butler’s writing style. It did keep me hooked the entire time. )My lower rating was definitely not for lack of interest, but I’ll get to that later.). Her world building for the vampiric culture & society was intricate but I could understand it. It was a totally different take on vampires, or Ina, as they call themselves. Even with quite a few characters, the story was easy to follow & it was intriguing. I was also thankful it wasn’t as “horror” as I anticipated.
What I didn’t like- there was too much pedo-type things throughout. The MC, Shori, is a young 53-year-old Ina, but looks like an 11-year-old girl. She seduces a 23-year-old human to “feed” her and then have sex with her. I thought that once her true age was revealed & discussed, the pedo feel to the narrative would leave as the story progressed, but no. It was referenced & used to describe her often, from her flat-chested appearance to her height being that of a 10/11 year old. Also- everything with her feeding off of humans was sexualized, and coupled with the childlike references, I just didn’t like it.
I will for sure try another one of Octavia Butler’s books, as not all of them are this storyline.
What I liked- Ms Butler’s writing style. It did keep me hooked the entire time. )My lower rating was definitely not for lack of interest, but I’ll get to that later.). Her world building for the vampiric culture & society was intricate but I could understand it. It was a totally different take on vampires, or Ina, as they call themselves. Even with quite a few characters, the story was easy to follow & it was intriguing. I was also thankful it wasn’t as “horror” as I anticipated.
What I didn’t like- there was too much pedo-type things throughout. The MC, Shori, is a young 53-year-old Ina, but looks like an 11-year-old girl. She seduces a 23-year-old human to “feed” her and then have sex with her. I thought that once her true age was revealed & discussed, the pedo feel to the narrative would leave as the story progressed, but no. It was referenced & used to describe her often, from her flat-chested appearance to her height being that of a 10/11 year old. Also- everything with her feeding off of humans was sexualized, and coupled with the childlike references, I just didn’t like it.
I will for sure try another one of Octavia Butler’s books, as not all of them are this storyline.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Racism