Reviews tagging 'War'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

87 reviews

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

starri_night's review

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

So the main character spends a good chunk of their time talking about the religion that they have created which is a spin-off of Christianity and other religions like Buddhism. Personally, it didn't really resonate with me and I didn't like how the main character tried to force it on everyone because they thought it was the truth. In my humble opinion, the entire story would have remained the same. If not for the religion. Despite this, I will most likely read the the sequel see what happens

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty

jessife's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A slightly terrifying look at what climate change could do to our society - dystopian catastrophe but still gripping and hopeful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

mutua1core's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

keyradiator's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book is really a marvel. Octavia Butler's writing is accessible, evocative, crisp, and visceral; reading her and Ursula K. Le Guin made me realize I took entirely too long reading several mediocre science fiction books from more mainstream authors.

There is a thing or two in this book that are structurally suboptimal, but overall, the pacing is biting and cohesive, the characters have deeeeep stories and flaws, and the world building is some of the best I've ever read.

This book is dark. You can't quite prepare yourself for just how dark it gets, yet, somehow Butler manages to make a beam of hope cut through all of the noise that carries you through. Please read this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Vomit, Police brutality, Cannibalism, and War

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Car accident, and Toxic friendship

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Fatphobia, Excrement, and Vomit

Adult/minor relationship warning is also for a relationship between a grown adult and an 18-year-old.

puppyphant's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I suspect Octavia E. Butler may actually be able to see the future. She wasn't dead on, but alarmingly close. And it's an amazing novel overall. It's never boring and is a perfect balance between the horrors of an apocalyptic setting and the comforts of a community. After reading I felt more appreciative of what I have but also more aware of my own capability to adapt to change.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, and Slavery

Minor: Mental illness and Rape

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wowwwwwww. Dark, fascinating, exciting, deep, complex… a perfect dystopia. With an end filled with a strange hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Slavery, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

julieallison's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Classism

kjperry97's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, and War