This is one of the most captivating, page-flipping books I have ever read. I am not typically a science-fiction person, but Octavia Butler has always kept me attentive in her writing style–the way she weaves history, spirituality, culture, time and place into her work is mmm *chefs kiss*, so mesmerizing. I think there even may come a day where I want to read this again–maybe into “old age” but then again with my to-read list 200 miles long, maybe not.

Highlights: (without giving so much away–seriously go read this book so I can talk about it with somebody!)

• I was swept away by the visuals of transforming into an eagle, dolphin, wolf–every single detail so clean and trance-like, making you feel as if you are the character experiencing the sensation of metamorphosing.
• Her finesse in molding the complex relationships through the course of the story is top-notch, not to mention just the individuals themselves–you cannot completely detest a single character, no matter what they do.
• You will fall in love with the main character, Anyanwu. Her feminine strength, prowess, cleverness, compassion, patience.. Truly she digs her talons and teeth into your heart while also cradling it into health.
• Relationship with time and space–the characters are living in decades where there was trafficking of enslaved people from Africa to the US continent, and she paints a picture of life in Africa, and then life in various parts of the US with such skill it feels like you are time traveling in the bodies of her characters. Needless to say, this book has heaviness and heartbreak, and all of that comes with enlightenment and curiosity–I did google quite a few things while reading this novel, which always makes a book 5-star for me because I am learning more because of the book.

Ok I have to stop myself before I say too much! There are five more books in this series, this being the first one, and so here begins my quest to find the second one at a library nearby.