Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Mind of My Mind (Patternist, 2)

Mind of My Mind (Patternist, 2)

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

417 global ratings

5 star		75%
4 star		19%
3 star		5%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

Mind of My Mind (Patternist, 2)

byOctavia E. Butler

How are ratings calculated?

See All Buying Options

Add to Wish List

This page works best with JavaScript. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. You can still see all customer reviews for the product.

Top positive review

All positive reviews›

A great sequel!

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021

This is the second book in the Patternist series. In this instalment, we continue from where Wild Seed ended off and meet new off-spring of Doro’s as he continues his experiment to make the ultimate super human.

Reading this book, I wished I had read it as a child. As a fan of sci-fi, fantasy and superheroes stories, Octavia created a world of superheroes in this series that I could relate to as a black woman. With the exception of how Doro came about, this series has a rather realistic explanation as to how super human mutations could be possible in this world.

If you are into X-men, this would be akin to Xavier vs Magneto. If a Marvel fan, any of the Civil War series, and if a DC fan, Batman vs Superman.

The exception here (with the exception of Captain Marvel’s Civil War of course), there was a lot more representation of women with power. It also explores the emotional aspects of coming to terms with being so different, of controlling that power and going against a parent that you love.

Read this series if you are a fan of super human / mutant comic books / graphic novels / TV shows / Movies, if you enjoy speculative fiction you will love this, and if you just love Octavia.

One person found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›

Less energy than Wild Seed

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021

I'm in agreement with a number of other reviewers that this second book in the series is not as good as the first. Wild Seed was just fantastically imaginative with two great characters in conflict with each other. In this book, the main character of the first book, now renamed, is basically completely absent, and there are a number of other new but much weaker characters. Those characters spend the bulk of the book building up a community of telepaths with basically no conflict except between themselves, and then with Doro. There is a mind numbing amount of detail of how their ability works, how they go find broken down "latents" across America, and other details about this genetic breeding plan they are all a part of. But I didn't really care much, because the point of why they were doing all of this was all but forgotten. I loved the first book and I'll go find more of Octavia Butler's writing, but I doubt I will continue this series.

Sort by

Filter by

417 global ratings | 101 global reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

A great sequel!

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is the second book in the Patternist series. In this instalment, we continue from where Wild Seed ended off and meet new off-spring of Doro’s as he continues his experiment to make the ultimate super human.

Reading this book, I wished I had read it as a child. As a fan of sci-fi, fantasy and superheroes stories, Octavia created a world of superheroes in this series that I could relate to as a black woman. With the exception of how Doro came about, this series has a rather realistic explanation as to how super human mutations could be possible in this world.

If you are into X-men, this would be akin to Xavier vs Magneto. If a Marvel fan, any of the Civil War series, and if a DC fan, Batman vs Superman.

The exception here (with the exception of Captain Marvel’s Civil War of course), there was a lot more representation of women with power. It also explores the emotional aspects of coming to terms with being so different, of controlling that power and going against a parent that you love.

Read this series if you are a fan of super human / mutant comic books / graphic novels / TV shows / Movies, if you enjoy speculative fiction you will love this, and if you just love Octavia.

One person found this helpful

Margaret Carmel

After being assigned Wild Seed for a class, I ...

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2015

Verified Purchase

After being assigned Wild Seed for a class, I decided to continue with the series to see what happened.

This story takes place over 200 years later and follows one of the descendants of Anyawu, named Mary, who has the ability to gather telepaths into a larger pattern and organize them into a grand society unlike never before. Despite this being Doro's wish, he finds that Mary is power hungry and he tries to control her which ends in a battle between two greater forces.

SPOILERS

While I was riveted in the beginning, I felt that the story slowed down with the politics of the increasing pattern size. I didn't really care too much about the logistics of setting up schools, or training new people. I understood why this was important information for the story, it just felt kind of slow. Also, in comparison to Wild Seed where every character felt complicated and nuanced, I felt that most of the characters in Mind of My Mind felt flat and underdeveloped due to the emphasis on Mary's development.

I think that with this book Butler showed the eventual triumph of women over men's control, showing that it's possible to be a strong emergent woman who has a family unit without being constrained by the influence of a man, as opposed to the ending of Wild Seed which suggested otherwise. Anyawu's decision to die at the end of the book represented to me the shift of women and the birth of a new kind of femininity.

Interesting read, and I am going to continue with the series. I'm interested to see where it goes.

13 people found this helpful

Less energy than Wild Seed

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

I'm in agreement with a number of other reviewers that this second book in the series is not as good as the first. Wild Seed was just fantastically imaginative with two great characters in conflict with each other. In this book, the main character of the first book, now renamed, is basically completely absent, and there are a number of other new but much weaker characters. Those characters spend the bulk of the book building up a community of telepaths with basically no conflict except between themselves, and then with Doro. There is a mind numbing amount of detail of how their ability works, how they go find broken down "latents" across America, and other details about this genetic breeding plan they are all a part of. But I didn't really care much, because the point of why they were doing all of this was all but forgotten. I loved the first book and I'll go find more of Octavia Butler's writing, but I doubt I will continue this series.

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is a good read. I thought this book would be more of a continuation of the first book, but it's not. I had hoped that the main character from the first book, now named Emma, would be more present in this book, but it wasn't so. I enjoyed the first book better just because I think there was more going on, than just focus on telepathy like this one. Even so the books supposed to be a series, I'm thinking they could be all standalone stories, since the last really doesn't influence of much. I'll continue reading the others in the series just to see where it all leads.

2 people found this helpful

A fantastic read, from one of science fiction's best authors.

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

Just like Wild Seed (book #1 in the Patternmaster series) this is a compelling read that is very hard to put down. Butler's prose and story hooked me from the first page and kept me hooked until the grand finale. It is not, however, a comfortable or comforting read. This is a story that tweaks and scratches and rips into you with questions about slavery, dependence, love, loyalty, the value of human emotions and human life. The main antagonists: Mary and Doro are both powerful but also frightening entities, capable of great evil and selfishness, as well as acts of mercy (if not kindness). And their actions affect not only themselves, but the people and the society around them.

Butler packs a lot of thoughts and questions about society and human existence into a book that, on the surface, deals with what our world might be like if there were humans who could control and read other people's emotions, thoughts, and memories.

A fantastic read, from one of science fiction's best authors.

7 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

I asked my friends to recommend someone new and I got "Octavia Butler" at the top of the list.

I can see why in this example of her writing. A very cool Gestalt psi story along the lines of Theodore Sturgeon's More than Human (a personal favorite of my childhood - I think I got a review on it floating around on Goodreads).

The story is coming-of-age of an immortal trying to breed his equals. Problem is "daddy" is a tyrant and his children have been socialized to think his actions are normal. Now they ready to grow up and daddy isn't ready to let go.

2 people found this helpful

I GIve It a High 4

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2012

Verified Purchase

I was mesmerized by this book. The author makes everything fit and flow into something believable. In this story we meet Doro, the 4000 year old founder and father of both active and latent psychics. He has experimented with the lower tenants of the human race, breeding them so that he can build his empire (but we find out that ambition is made out of something small and builds with need). We also meet the heroine, Mary (Doro's host duaghter), a girl raised up in the ghetto stealing and using her insignificant power to gain unfair privileges. Doro has the ability to mentally and permanently evacuate a person from his or her mind and use the body as his own for as long he wants. Once he is done using it, it becomes a shell until he comes back to it when it suits him. He controls the entire community of psychics; he is feared, loved, and respected. What we find out about Doro is that he is seen as the bringer of life and death in the story. He seems like the impersonal father who does not understand the concept of love, yet you would think otherwise. But towards the end his reason for wanting to build an empire of perfect psychics is very simple (read the story to find out). However, Doro's status changes when he forces Mary to marry Karl (Doro's son) and she transitions into a powerful psychic who is able to control a mass of psychics by creating a pattern (something Doro is incapable of doing because of his death before psychic activation). She creates a pattern that helped her trap 5 of the most strongest psychics in L.A. She goes head to head with Doro (psuedo-father)and everything changes for them.

The reason why I gave this book a 4 is because Octavia uses the same outline she used in another book and I was a full star upset about that.... other than, no one should miss out on the story-telling of OEB!

I also tried to relate this story to our current situation in today's political arena and the struggle for power. And she did a great job in showing it in this book. A selfish ruler caught up in his need, rather than those of his people has his place usurped by the one person you can actually say he loved. The good ruler, thought of her people first and in return they gave her the sustenance she needed and this gave her impenetrable power. Doro was defeated.

5 people found this helpful

Octavia Deserved Every Award She Ever Got.

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

The brilliance in this second book.
I am not only satisfied, but perplexed by what could possibly come next. I have a thirst that can only quenched by the knowledge of what happens next. Just like the strand that pulled those hapless actives toward her, so am to the next book in this series.
The characters, the plot, the twist, I was not prepared for the end. Honestly, the only thing disappointing about the end is the abrupt ending of my dearly beloved Emma.

.On To The Next Adventure.

Excellent ending for the "bad' guy.

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

I loved this book. Octavia has a real gift for creating her characters and interspersing history and geography into her stories. Make sure you start from the beginning with Wild Seed and progress through all the previous books before you even think of picking up this book. That way you can really understand why the characters are acting and thinking the way they do.
Spoiler Alert: As you read Butler's trilogy, you come to root for certain characters in the past. You learn to love or hate or simply accept characters as they are. Then a new character comes along and then you see that maybe one of those 'accepted' characters can be done away with forever and you start re-rooting for the underdog against the accepted tyrant!! YAY!!!

One person found this helpful

Mmd Of My Mind Octavia E. Butler

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017

Verified Purchase

This was my first introduction to Octavia E. Butler some years ago and I immediately clicked with her writing. I've read every one of her books since and just came back to the first one I read and was totally knocked out again. SHe is my favorite writer and her books always have a thematic structure to them. Usually the woman is the one who has hardships that her courageous spirit helps her overcome and conquer! In many of her books this theme can be so drastic, frightful at times but the woman who represents more than just a woman comes out and fights hard to get what is deservedly hers. This book has it all and for those that are new to her I highly recommend this one to be the first to read and get to know the Genius of Octavia E. Butler. You'll be glad you did. Teddy Pantelas

Customer image

4 people found this helpful

Need customer service? Click here

‹ See all details for Mind of My Mind (Patternist, 2)

Get to Know Us

Make Money with Us

Amazon Payment Products

Let Us Help You

English United States

© 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates