Week 12 - Dawn

   Butler is an author I’ve been meaning to read forever and this was an intriguing place to start. The dilemma of Lillith, deciding the fate of humanity and resigning herself to be the betrayer, was tense and well thought out. The characters themselves were nuanced and made me seriously look at how I thought about prejudice, human-ness, and my attitude to the new and unknown. I look forward to seeing how she moves the world forward in the next book. A reflective and meditative yet very dramatic read. Interesting from so many points of view, really well written and deeply insightful. I can't think of any other book I've read that tells a similar story and I found this a very unique tale which was told brilliantly. This was my first Octavia E. Butler and it more than lived up to all the great things I’ve heard about her work. The insights into human nature are too much to list, made without seeming to try. The aliens are striking and just so alien. One of the best examples of the insight into human nature comes early in the book when the protagonist meets her first alien. The journey Lilith takes throughout the course of the novel is deep and convoluted and entirely engaging. It isn't always easy to read, but then again, I think that truth rarely is. To be honest though, this book has left me with many questions. Nothing to do with the book, but with myself, questioning raised because of the book. What I mean to say is that the book has created an inner dialogue within my mind. Where suddenly you find yourself speaking out loud to yourself and asking yourself questions.