Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

53 reviews

gmortg3's review

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

courtsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

savannahroberts's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

lilybear3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

I listened to this as an unabridged audiobook read by  Lynne Thigpen.  They have a lovely voice that is graceful, yet captures the heaviness. This is one of the best dystopian novels I have read.  Her messages on social injustices and climate change are true and prophetic.  I was highly engaged for the majority of the book, but I lost a little interest towards the end when

more and more people joined the group on the journey. It was about when Emery and Mora showed up

.  There were a lot of scenes and imagery that felt like it was added for shock value, but I think that is the reality of the world they live in.  I was not a fan of the age-gap relationship, but I interpreted it as commentary on how children mature way too fast when in an environment that forces them to grow up.  Characterization was fantastic.  There were great descriptions while also characterizing through the characters' actions.  Watching Lauren grow into her own and write about her spiritual and philosophical beliefs was so interesting.  I thought the ending was fitting, it wasn't amazing, but acceptable.  I'm glad I read this classic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Cannibalism

helliepad's review

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

I never cared for science fiction or survivalist/dystopian novels but for some reason this book hit the spot. Maybe it's because Octavia E. Butler took great care in emphasizing community action and compassion as a way to save ourselves from our own premeditated hellfires. Maybe it's because the events of this book really do read like my current Twitter feed and newspapers. Maybe it's just really great, well-resewrched and thought out writing. Either way this was great and I highly recommend it but do mind the warnings for the book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Abandonment

cinderrunner's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

Amazing, thought provoking yet simplistic writing. Its a shame how relevant this book still is 30 years later. A truly brilliant work

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

booksviavilla's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jlaz_13's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

toastranger's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Oof. This book was compelling and horrifying. It hit waaayyyy too close on several topics, and has inspired a few new nightmares for me. I enjoyed it immensely, but could have done without the constant addition of new characters in the second half. They felt more like padding/added plot than necessary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail