Fledgling

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fledgling. While at first I was entirely caught off guard by the image of a 10-year-old girl climbing onto a 23-year-old man's lap and kissing him (among other things), especially because she had no idea who she was, what she was, or how old she was, I found that after realizing she is actually a 53-year-old Ina it didn't bother me throughout the book any more. Granted it was sometimes difficult to imagine the body of a little girl bossing around all of her adult symbionts and coming up with plans that end up saving the lives of many, it was easy to look beyond that image and understand that despite her height, Shori could handle herself.

I really liked that Butler gave Shori amnesia. Obviously it helped with the plot, but at the same time it helped me relate to her. I was discovering who and what she was while she was discovering it for herself. Shori's amnesia seemed like a weakness altogether, but it allowed the strength of her character to really shine. Shori is the definition of a strong female. Even with being vitally injured, having lost all of her family and symbionts, and her memories of those people and of who she is, she was able to rebuild. She had no idea why she needed Wright or Theodora the way she did but through the little knowledge she acquired on her own and from her father, she was able to protect her symbionts, warn other Ina of the danger while also saving them from it, and avenge the murder of her families.

Butler was able to use something fiction--vampires--to really emphasize the stereotypes of gender, age, race and sexuality that are a part of our society today, and to banish them, through the way that the Ina society does in the book. Simply the fact that Shori was black, and part-human, was the main conflict in the novel, and that racism among the Ina community was banished through the Council of Judgement. Gender roles were challenged in the way that the Ina community was very much a matriarchy. The open sexuality of the Ina with their male and female symbionts pushed the barriers of sexuality that are in our society today.

The only big criticism I had of the book was the ending--it ended way too soon! I wanted to see how Shori and her symbionts created their own home, and how they went on with their lives after the Council of Judgement. I also didn't like how long the council lasted without any real action until the very end when Russell tried to jump Shori. Other than the lackluster ending however, Fledgling was an awesome read, and Im glad I got to read a different type of vampire literature.

Peace, Love & Vampires
-kgirl