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Adulthood Rites
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
As humans and Oankali struggle to live together, the future of both species rests in the hands of Liliths hybrid sonNuclear war had nearly destroyed mankind when the Oankali came to the rescue, saving humanitybut at a price. The Oankali survive by mixing their DNA with that of other species, and now on Earth they have permitted no child to be born without an Oankali parent. The first true hybrid is a boy named Akinson of Lilith Iyapo and to the naked eye he looks human, for now.He is born with extraordinary sensory powers, understanding speech at birth, speaking in sentences at two months old, and soon developing the ability to see at the molecular level. More powerful than any human or Oankali, he will be the architect of both races intergalactic future. But before he can carry this new species into the stars, Akin must decide which unlucky souls will stay behind.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Octavia E. Butler including rare images from the authors estate.
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sebrittainclark
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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4.5/5

The second book in the Xenogenesis series, this is such a fascinating book about what it is to be human and what is necessary to survive.

I'll add the full warning in a spoiler comment, but CW for kidnapping and threatened violence towards young children.

sebrittainclark The main character is kidnapped by humans who hate the Oankali and their children at 1 year old and his family does not come rescue him for quite a while. 10mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I am reading Butler all this year but have been a bit put off after the 3rd book in the Pattermaster series. There is so much sexual violence. Can you tell me if this series (which is up next on my list) hugely focused on breeding? (Breeding most of the Pattermaster series is focused on the women having as many children as possible whether she wants to or not) 10mo
sebrittainclark @ChaoticMissAdventures There is a little off page sexual violence referenced (there's a good bit of on-page explicit violence, but not sexual). There is a focus on breeding in terms of integrating Oankali and humans via their hybrid children. It's certainly coercive, manipulative, and not fully consensual in some cases, but it's not explicitly violent. 10mo
sebrittainclark @ChaoticMissAdventures This series is my first time reading Butler, so I can't really compare to her other works if this is more or less violent or more or less focused on breeding than usual for her. 10mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @sebrittainclark Thanks! I have read Kindred and Fledgling and then 3 ofthe Patternmaters and she seems to have a fascination with breeding (often called this by her, not procreation, or something else more human) It does look like you are rating this high, her craftmanship of the stories is really fantastic. even if most of the books are very violent. 10mo
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sebrittainclark
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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“He remembered much of his stay in the womb.“

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

paper.reveries Whaaaaat!! 😂😂😂 10mo
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bookishbitch
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Akin is a human and Oankali hybrid child that accidentally bridges the gap between both species. He lets the Oankali know that the decisions they made to "save" humans also took away important choices. Resister groups of humans want their freedom free of Oankali because of those choices. Which ironically also creates some of those problems. I find the family units of the Oankali fascinating. Great world building. I'm on to book 3.

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bookishbitch
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Saturday night vibes. (Crackling fire courtesy of YouTube.)

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currentlyreadinginCO
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Finishing my book was a good use of my half day. I really enjoy this series but I'm going to take a break from tentacles before finishing it.

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bookwrm526
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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I read the first book in this trilogy ages ago, and then didn‘t pick up the second for some reason. I finally decided to go back to it and MAN is it good - a lot of deep thoughts and questions, in a compelling story, I will definitely read the third one soon.

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Bookalong
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E Butler
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A wonderfully vivid continuation! I read the first novel in this series, and my first Butler a few months ago and really enjoyed it so I was excited to read the sequel and Butler did not dissapoint! She hits on big themes in this one and wonderful character and world development. I think I actually liked the sequel a bit more than the first book. Science Fiction is a genre I rarely read but Butler is fantastic! #bookreview

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ShyBookOwl
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Book 2 of this sci-fi trilogy (tagged) was published the year I was born, 1988
#FallTreasures 🍂🍂🍂
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs 👏🏻📚🤗 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I spy Eleanor 💙 3y
ShyBookOwl @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😍😍😍 isn't it wonderful? 3y
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Lesliereads
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E Butler
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So far I‘m liking the 2021 cover art of Grand Central Publishing‘s editions of Octavia Butler (1947-2006)‘s Xenogenesis Series. 💙 #octaviabutler #xenogenesisseries #coverart

Christine Gorgeous!! 💙 3y
Nute That is pretty! 3y
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Caterina
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Finished the second in the trilogy with some honey vanilla chamomile tea this afternoon. 💕 Solid middle book! It's so interesting to see how Lilith's hope is working out from the first book, and to think about what I would do in the situations these humans, constructs, and aliens are put into. Freedom, identity, consent, assimilation, resistance, violence, connection... Much to think about. Writing is not beautiful, but simple and easy to read.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa This series was very thought provoking I thought. And hard to describe to anyone else 😂 3y
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Caterina
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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My day-off activities of reading and eating continue with my mom's squash casserole and the second book in this trilogy! I had to put it down in January after the first one (Dawn)'s intensity, but I'm finding the second one a little less intense. Butler is so easy to read but makes you think so much! Themes of identity, colonialism, consent, assimilation, and the Other continue to thread through this installment.

Caterina First in the trilogy: 3y
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Ruthiella
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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I‘m using this title for the #Booked2021 “sci-fi by female author”. I also love my cheesy copy with all 3 of the Xenogenesis novels in it.

The premise: earth has been destroyed by global nuclear war. The alien species Oankali have gathered the human survivors to “trade” with them. What the Oankali offer is life without sickness or violence-but at what price to humanity and free will ? Like the best Sci-Fi, she explores what makes us human.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Great trilogy! And that cover! So funny! 3y
Ruthiella @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I know! That‘s why I love it so! 😆 3y
readordierachel Omg, this cover 😍 3y
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Ruthiella @readordierachel It‘s soooo fantastic! 😂 3y
Cinfhen Agreed!!! #CoverCrush 🤗🤗🥰 3y
Centique I‘m so glad to hear good things about this, I‘ve been meaning to try more of her work since loving Kindred. 3y
Ruthiella @Centique I think you‘ll like it! I‘m looking forward to reading the third book and completing the trilogy. 😀 3y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Wow that cover! I‘ve read five of hers and neeed to get back to more. Kind of trying to stretch them out since she‘s gone now. 📚🤓😥 3y
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HeyT
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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This is very much a second book in a trilogy. You definitely had to have read the first to understand the world and how it works. I found Akin to be an interesting character but the ending was a bit too abrupt. Book 12 for #BookSpinBonanza.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

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HeyT
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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#BookReport
Finished two more for the #BookSpinBonanza and the last of my #CalibreRoulette picks for the month.
#WeeklyForecast
My goal is to finish Adulthood Rites and the three bonanza books after it. The last one is Anna Karenina so that may be a hard one.

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CuriousG
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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It might only be 5 degrees above freezing, but that's warm enough to cook ribs over the fire. First fireside read of the year 🙌🙌

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suzisteffen
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
Pickpick

Yes. This is where the captors start to see that what they‘ve been doing could be considered wrong. Or at least the main person in the book does - after an incredibly painful experience. A good and different POV from the first book.

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Mindyrecycles
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Well I didn‘t make it to 13, but 9+ hours is a good weekend of reading for me. I finished book 2 of Xenogenesis, which I loved, and got a good way in to The Lottery and Other Stories, which is fantastic. #13in3

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Reggie
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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We follow Lilith to Earth and follow her half human, half alien son, Akin. Akin, at a young age, gets kidnapped by humans called resisters who want no part of breeding new species but are not allowed themselves to breed fully human children. Akin learns about his human side and champions their right to their own freedom. Even if it means that our biological destiny might be to destroy each other. Already some of the human groups have made guns👇🏼

Reggie I think Octavia Butler was so smart and ahead of her time. A lot of what she writes in here about humanity is relevant today. 6y
RaimeyGallant Interesting. 6y
2BR02B @Reggie it really is. Have you read her Earthseed books? 6y
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Reggie @2BRO2B I have not but will probably get to it sooner or later. Was it pretty good? 6y
ElleSkel Definitely adding this author to my TBR! 6y
Reggie If you haven‘t read her before, start with Kindred. It‘s one of my new favorite books. @Elle_Skeldon 6y
ElleSkel Stacked! Thanks @Reggie ! Funny side note, while stacking I noticed another comment from you about it being released the year you were born and coincidentally I was also born in 1979. Now I MUST read it. It‘s like fate! 😬 6y
ValerieAndBooks The only thing I‘ve read by her is the tagged book. I keep an eye out for her other titles at the used bookstores but no luck yet! 6y
Reggie @ValerieAndBooks how was your tagged book? That‘s the one she won the Hugo and the Nebula awards for. 6y
ValerieAndBooks @Reggie I liked it — there were three stories in it that still stay with me — which is a lot for short story collections! I got it b/c I was curious about “Speech Sounds” which is basically about a post-epidemic society where there‘s loss of Speech among the members. 6y
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Mindyrecycles
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Loved Book One, excited for Book Two. ❤️ #readsoullit #tbrinmarch

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rachelm
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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This series is so deep and interesting. This is book 2, and follows Lilith's son, who is part alien and part human. When he gets ripped away by human resisters, he starts on a path to reconcile not only the disparate parts of himself, but of the world.
Can't wait for book 3!

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BlackandBookish
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Day 4 of #31daysofbirthdaybooks: Octavia Butler published Adulthood Rites (Xenogenesis, #2) when I turned 4, 1988. I missed yesterday, but also pictured is 1987's book Beloved by Toni Morrison. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for Fiction.

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TheNextBook
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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I'm in love with this series. Butler understood humanity in ways that I cant even describe and was able to integrate that into her books seamlessly! She continued to build and shape the circumstances surrounding the Oankali and Humans on Earth. The character building was amazing, the world building impecable! I'm so repetitive when it comes to her because she simply is that good! Now I just need to finish this damn series.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I'm so glad you are enjoying this unique series too. It's unlike anything I've ever read before, but yet says so much about the human condition, mind, etc 7y
TheNextBook @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Her concepts are incredible and it is all so very original! This is heavily sci-fi and I am eating it up. Patiently waiting for the last one from the library! 7y
Leniverse I was determined to read something by Octavia Butler this year, and put this trilogy down for one of my challenges. Then I read some negative reviews and ended up accumulating 5 different Butler books. So I thought I'd read some of them instead. But seeing your updates I'm thinking I still need this series. 😂 Now I really hope I'll like the writing. 7y
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TheNextBook @Leniverse Start off with Kindred or the Parable of the Sower series! This series is really good but very, very sci-fi! She is an incredible writer and I'm loving this but I don't think it's for everyone. 7y
Leniverse I like sci-fi, so that's not a problem. I do, however, have both Kindred and the Parable duology (that is a duology, right? There isn't a third Parable book I need to get?) 7y
TheNextBook @Leniverse Parable is a duology and it is so good! Honestly I havent read anything I didn't like by Butler. 7y
Leniverse Sounds promising! I'm feeling motivated now. Going to try to fit at least one of her books into my September TBR. 7y
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TheNextBook
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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...

Butler knew then.

TheKidUpstairs Some of the things Butler wrote make me wonder if she is a time traveler. 7y
TheNextBook @TheKidUpstairs Time traveler/precog/psychic something. She knew! 7y
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TheNextBook
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Truth.

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TheNextBook
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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What is that you said?! You think I should continue reading the Xenogenesis series to find out what happened to Lilith? Oh and because Octavia E. Butler was a phenomenal writer and science fiction genius? I agree completely. More Butler for everyone!

Liatrek She is the best! 7y
WhatDeeReads *kisses fingers* A saint she was. 7y
TheNextBook @Liatrek Yes! She was. 7y
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TheNextBook @WhatDeeReads we didnt deserve her and too many didnt heed her warnings. 😞 7y
WhatDeeReads @TheNextBook Agreed. The Parable duology changed me and has haunted to date. 7y
TheNextBook @WhatDeeReads I just read it earlier this year and am still unsettled. She was just so damn talented and could see through all the bullshit and put an amzing story out there! 7y
vivastory I've only read Kindred, but I was floored by it. Easily one of the greatest time travel narratives I've ever read 7y
amvs1111 I really enjoyed the series! 7y
Liatrek @vivastory I totally agree on Kindred. I really would love to see it adapted into movie. 7y
Liatrek @WhatDeeReads I try to get everyone I know to read the Parable books. They feel so relevant to the current situation. 7y
TheNextBook @vivastory you need to read more! Just read everything by her! I'm making my way through it all and I have not been disappointed yet. 7y
TheNextBook @amvs1111 This series is so damn good. 7y
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twohectobooks
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
Pickpick

As with the first book in the trilogy (Dawn), there's a ton of exposition in this book and that's kind of a problem. On the other hand, this was really fascinating. Still sort of alluring and gross all at once, upsetting but thought provoking. Will be moving straight on to the final book in the trilogy because I'm sure this is due back at the library right away.

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prowlix
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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My evening reading! My power is on and I'm packed for long drive tomorrow. I needed some time to process after finishing Dawn but I think I'm finally ready to dive into the next installment! And I'm quickly counting myself as an Octavia fan! Here's to reading about creepy aliens 👽🚀

TheNextBook I love Octavia! I'll be reading this series this summer! Ready! 7y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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The second installment went in such a different direction than I anticipated, and was even better for the shift. Instead of starting right where we left off after the first book, we skipped ahead to join Lilith and her family, as well as the human resisters, a little further along. And we get to see both groups from a new perspective...that if their blended children.... the only ones who really understand both sides of this "trade".

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khooliha
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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I missed Lilith (how could you not?) but this story about her first son was still fantastic, more directly about the fusion of human and Oankali.

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Suet624 Lovely. 7y
Lindy Great quote. 💜 7y
diovival Loved this series! 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @diovival So far, me too. Very interesting and complex and thought provoking, and creepy too. 7y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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TheBookAddict Welp, common sense has been scarce for quite a while now. 😔 7y
Suet624 How did we get here. That's been my refrain for months. 7y
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khooliha
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
This post contains spoilers
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Are the resister humans ever going to get some self awareness about trading women vs trading genes? Also, please stop trying to cut bits off of half alien toddlers. Humanity: not making a strong case for itself.

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khooliha
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Being at Epcot means ebooks while I wait. Quite like this dedication.

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rach_simone
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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What incredible deals today!

I read Dawn and couldn't pass up all 3 for $2.99!

I also listened to Not My Father's Son on audio and highly recommend it! Alan Cumming narrates it himself and is so perfect.

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FairyHighRoad
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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Day 15 - #booksandtreats I need some sugar to finish the three book holds from the library that all came in on the same day! 🍫📚#riotgrams

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laurenesalisbury
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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"'Anything to do with Humans always seems to involve contradictions.'"

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AdaChivers
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler
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The Second book is even more amazing than the First! And I love Akin even more than I love Lilith!

Leniverse Ooh, I have never read Octavia Butler, but I intend to do so next year. Have been wondering what book or series to start with. Have you read anything else by her? 7y
AdaChivers @Leniverse I've read Kindred a long time ago, and found one of her short stories for free on Amazon, earlier this year! I would start with her short story collection Bloodchild! 7y
Leniverse Thanks, I'll make a mental note. 7y
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Bookish.Leftist.Auntie
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler

Enough. I can't even explain how I feel right now. Time to escape this world for awhile.

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MarthaNunes
Adulthood Rites | Octavia E. Butler

The 2nd book of Xenogenesis Trilogy goes further in the "What is a human" discussion and still masters the art of sensations. Loving everything so far. Charmed by Akin.

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