Book Review: Adulthood Rites - Octavia E. Butler
5 - Stars
I think I liked this book even more than the first in the series. We get a few characters back but this story is mostly told through the viewpoint of a new character who is the son of Lilith and Oankali.
The transition is seamless. I read the books back to back and even though the character is different and the setting is even different, we are on Earth now instead of an Oankali space ship, I still felt just as immersed and engaged in the world that Butler created.
And man, what a world.
I think one of my favorite things about Science Fiction is the author to put human beings in any kind of situation imaginable. That allows for great freedom in exploring and commenting on humanity.
This book has a lot to say about humanity. There are times when our view of human nature is devastatingly bleak. But even the darkest moments are shot through with hope.
The theme I see in this book, and in many SciFi stories, is that human beings are fatally flawed, but there is always hope if we choose to accept it.
I love that message because that is what I see when I look around me. Especially in our current political climate. I could easily see some parts of humanity regressing into the hate and violence that is depicted in parts of this book.
But at the same time, I see some many courageous people making a stand and that makes me optimistic for our future.
This book is fantastic. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.