Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

128 reviews

ikiteahill's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was hard to read. It's billed as scifi/fantasy but it's really more focused on a dystoipian society. Taking place in the USA starting in the year 2024, it's an alternate universe but parts of it hit really close to home with how eerily similar they are to society today. Some of the content was hard to stomach. But it brings up such interesting philosophical concepts. Like, what is God? What is religion? What does that do for people? What is human nature? How do we respond as a species under threat? You have to be in the right mindset to read this one but it's worth reading. I think this one will stick with me for a while, even if I'm not sure I'm ready to read the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Hate crime, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Animal death, Classism, Death, Excrement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Medical content, Torture, Cannibalism, Child death, Murder, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Abortion, and Incest

breedee95's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

Octavia Butler knew something! This book is timely, eerie, and just really puts all of us right in the middle of all of our fears. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Addiction

badbadwolf's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Rape, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Racism, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Child death, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Gore, Drug abuse, and Animal death

pola_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

This book is one of those books that will stay with me for a while. It’s a difficult one to read because of its frighteningly relevance of themes that we sadly see today. It’s a brilliant read. It’s my first read of Octavia Butler’s, but it definitely won’t be my last.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Gore, Gun violence, and Police brutality

lindseygcarden's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Drug use, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Eating disorder, Gore, Grief, Murder, Blood, Sexual violence, Car accident, Death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Infertility, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Incest, and Pregnancy

bubblybelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

wow. this is such a harrowing story that bears terrifying resemblance to modern day America. Octavia Butler’s words and infinitely quotable and leave me feeling simultaneously heartbroken and hopeful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Slavery, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Child death, Classism, and Trafficking

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Animal death, Gun violence, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Violence, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Medical trauma, Trafficking, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Addiction, Blood, Confinement, and Murder

Moderate: Police brutality, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, and Cannibalism

maxicosi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Racism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Cannibalism, and Violence

Minor: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Abortion, Outing, Animal death, and Blood

erikwmj's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Trafficking, Child death, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Torture, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Sexism, and Racism

henrybirdie's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The good:
I  went into this book knowing nothing about the plot, so was excited to realize it takes place in a dystopian, near-future setting — one of my favorite sub genres. Butler’s imagining of the 2020’s feels unsettling in the same way that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale does. Both worlds feel extreme and hyperbolic while also giving you that nagging feeling of being scarily possible.  This novel explores a version of California ravaged by climate change and late stage capitalism, where modern progress and technology has effectively collapsed and the economy has crumbled. 

Throughout the novel I found myself wondering how I might fare in this version of America — where would I feel safe? Would I know how to effectively grow my own food? Learn how to mend, how to maintain and fortify my own home base? Would I be a useful asset in my community like Lauren, or cling to the old and dead ways of life? 

I became totally immersed and engaged in Lauren’s journey and also appreciated Butler’s commentaries on American culture, race, status, and the pitfalls of capitalism. 

The not so good:

I really didn’t connect with Earthseed, though it’s clearly a major plot element throughout. I suppose it serves as a vehicle to push Lauren— and by way of her leadership, the rest of her ragtag crew—towards a different way of living. A rejection of the imploding system that they’ve all been bound to. I just found it hard to believe that she was seemingly so alone in this endeavor. With all the chaos, violence, and dire lack of resources, were there no other people seeking out some kind of communal/alternative lifestyle? 

This leads me to my next issue. Where the hell are all the bicycles, wagons, carts, trailers…any kind of low tech wheeled vehicle?! In a world where no one can afford to drive gas powered vehicles surely this would have become a major form of transportation and something that many people would learn to improvise. Characters ride bikes early on, in and around the immediate neighborhood but they’re never mentioned again once Lauren hits the road. Have all the horses and cows and donkeys been eaten? All forms of animal husbandry have been completely abandoned? Seems lazy! 

Last and most importantly….the significant age gap romance gave me major ick. I’m really not seeing the greater purpose for our girl Lauren to fall for a man who is not only nearly the same exact age as her presumably dead father, but actively reminds her of her father. Like…I get it, Lauren has suffered significant trauma and latches onto a man that can take the place of her missing dad but ugggghhh, did it have to be a sexual relationship? A barely 18 year old girl and a 55 year old man??? I guess she’s just “an old soul”…. “mature for her age”…..etc. Sigh.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Trafficking, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Classism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Slavery, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Cannibalism