Kim M. (Eucalia) reviewed on 3/15/2009 + 52 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

Octavia E. Butler is an amazing writer. It doesn't matter whether or not I like the story she has written, when I'm reading it I'm not reading a book, I'm there in her world, totally transported. Imago is no exception. This is the third and final book in the Xenogenesis series (a.k.a. Lilith's Brood). There are a lot of very complicated relationships in this which are explained fully in previous books. I have to admit that I got a bit bogged down in them as they were re-explained at the beginning of this one. This is told from the perspective of Lilith's youngest offspring who is now 29 years old. Lilith, a human, gave birth to it, but she is only one of its five parents (note the previously mentioned complicated relationships). What was great about this story was the way it took things that humans do that you and I would find perfectly understandable and then took a step back to look at them from an alien perspective. Suddenly these rational human reactions seem completely irrational. After seeing through alien eyes for a while I came to totally agree with the alien perspective. It wasn't until several hours after I finished the book that I realized that if I were put in the position of these humans, I would probably have acted similarly--I would be a "resister" too! Totally awesome writing with a very imaginative story. My biggest complaint about this book is that it's too short!

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