Reviews
Fantastic story, writing, narrative devices, all-in-all a complete book.
⭐️3.75-4A really good book and surprisingly easy to read, especially considering how heavy the subject matter is. Once I got into it, it became a real page-turner, and I genuinely didn’t want to put it down.At first, I struggled a bit with Octavia E. Butler’s writing style. It felt very plain and stripped back compared to other historical fiction I’ve read, and that’s honestly the main reason I can’t give it a full five stars. I’ve read books with a similar setting and vibe, like 'Yellow Wife', where the writing felt more polished and really stood out. That said, the more I read, the more I got used to Butler’s style. It started to feel raw and unfiltered, which actually worked well for the story and made it feel like I was right there with Dana, experiencing everything alongside her.The plot itself is interesting and unique, and the mix of historical fiction and sci-fi is done extremely well. This is definitely a book that made me feel things, it made me angry, anxious, frustrated, and worried at different points, which says a lot about how strong the story is.Some of the dialogue did get on my nerves at times, especially between Dana and Kevin. They could come across as naïve or a bit simple-minded in certain conversations.Overall, a great book and a strong introduction to Octavia E. Butler’s work. Even with a few small issues, it’s a powerful and memorable read, and I’d definitely be interested in picking up more of her books.
Fascinating, shocking, upsetting and enthralling.I listened to the audiobook which in one way adds much to the language and characters. However, I felt the narrator didn't quite hit the right tone of voice as the tone often felt too light-hearted and jolly for such a serious subject.