First off, for those of you science fiction fans unfamiliar with Octavia Butler, add her to your list right now. Octavia Butler is one of most respected and beloved writers of the genre, a great talent whose life was cut short in 2006. Fledglingwas her final book and her first "vampire romance," a subgenre she had recently stumbled on and had grown to enjoy.
Despite the inspiration, Butler's vampire romance is quite different than most in its class. At the book's opening, the main character, Shori, wakes up badly burned, shot, and clueless as to who she is our how she got there. She is picked up by a local who assumes she is a preteen girl from the look of her, but by her actions proves she is far more experienced than her appearance. He and Shori quickly figure out she is a vampire, but not the kind legend suggests. Together they begin unraveling the pieces of her life before, discovering that she is genetic experiment within the vampire community and uncovering a dangerous plot to destroy her and her family.
The novel isn't a page burner. It asks too many important questions about race, sexuality, gender, and individuality to skim read. But if you like your science fiction thought-provoking and philosophically challenging, you'll enjoy this dramatic, disturbing, and powerful read.
I thought this was a good read... but you're right, it's difinitely creepy. Once you got past the fact that the main character looks like a 12-year-old, the story was really interesting, and it asked some thought provoking questions about freedom and life. I would reccommend it to anyone looking for something outside the box.
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