Dawn

Exciting read, one of the books I couldn't put down. It's a very interesting analysis of humans and how they live together, and thoughts about if a kind of "benevolent dictator" would make it better or worse. I feel like the book doesn't come to a conclusion on its own, but let's readers think about it and opens some really interesting questions I hadn't really thought about before. The characters and development are great, and the story is well written and very entertaining besides making me think.

I couldn't stop myself from reading it. Once start, mate, this book wasn't leaving my hands. How long has it been since my last Butler book? Omg, she's such a good writer. The way she hooks you up is magic. If only her and Le Guin were a bit more queer and less binary in their writings, but, well...

I read this in a day and haven't stopped thinking about in the couple of weeks since. It's an incredibly uncomfortable read. At the end I was angry with Butler for writing such a grotesque scenario, but on reflection that reaction amounts to shooting the messenger. It's an absolutely brutal exploration of what complete loss of autonomy does to people

I read this in a day and haven't stopped thinking about in the couple of weeks since. It's an incredibly uncomfortable read. At the end I was angry with Butler for writing such a grotesque scenario, but on reflection that reaction amounts to shooting the messenger. It's an absolutely brutal exploration of what complete loss of autonomy does to people

What a great story!
Terrifying and seductive and such awesome world building. These may be my favorite aliens ever.
Humans are predictably uncivilized showing all our worse traits, but Octavia Butler is a realist and holds nothing back. Our antipathy to aliens lies deep within our core and we must consciously work against this characteristic.
I loved Lilith, even with all her baggage, but in the end, when she makes the critical choice that reveals the potential of our good, I know she is both doomed and proud of her.
My only issue is it felt predictable, and I was not surprised with the twist because she laid the groundwork so well, it was inevitable.
Still, I am excited about the rest of the series. Lilith is a powerful, realistic, feminine character, one all humans should be proud to call our own.