Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

84 reviews

decklededgess's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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? No

5.0

trigger warnings: incest, rape, physical abuse, death of family, gore and injury description, sexual content, drug use and abuse, arson and fire, racism, sexism, murder, enslavement, cannibalism, child abuse, trafficking, suicide, gun violence, and more probably.

Before I get into my doom and gloom reaction let me just say that terrifying as this book is, it's incredibly well thought out and the cause and effect of what leads to the situations in this book are rooted in very realistic patterns. The cast of characters are really interesting and it was something to see how desperate they were for happiness that they were pushing through the nightmare of their lives. It's also a fascinating look into how law and morality breaks down when safety, freedom, food, and shelter aren't a guarantee. It's a lot.

I am incredibly (insert adequate word here) to see a book that is set three years into our current future exist in exacerbated conditions of today. It feels like a cold bucket of water tossed over my head knowing this book was written in 1993 and we are living in a reality predicted nearly thirty years ago by an author who said THIS is exactly how it'll get worse if things don't change...uh. oof.

Anyways. Read for your own awareness and preparation. It's a book of survival through some really dire fucking situations and it's a little sobering to realize maybe perishing before it gets this bad is the ideal way because no way in hell am i doing any of THIS.

RIP to my nerves bc I am living in a nightmare.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

starccato's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

dugfromthedirt's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

katiebartmess's review

challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.5

This book did what it was supposed to do: which was be deeply unsettling. First half of the book was a little hard to push through because it was pretty slow. Definitely picked up half way through but in a very dark nature. The writing was pretty incredible, the story just lacked a little bit in my opinion. Important to remember that this was written thirty years ago, it easily felt like it was written within the last five years just because of how spot on some of these predictions were. One of my biggest hesitations about this book is Lauren’s relationship with her father

and how strongly she reveres him as a good man. He is deeply flawed and even abusive. Admittedly as a victim of that it would make sense for Lauren not to see his faults. However the reader gets a high level understanding from their own observations and from character’s perspective about both obvious and nuanced problems in this dystopian world. Commentary is made on religious abuse of power, murder, racism, sexism, rape, greed etc through the entire book, practically on every page. But Lauren (who I believe we are supposed to think of as extremely mature for her age (also debatable)) never once confronts her father’s participation in the continuation of the world and culture that she so strongly resents.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Classism

drinaiscold's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, and Medical trauma

jojo_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, and Cannibalism

Minor: Infidelity, Trafficking, and War

chloebethx_'s review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

I read Dawn by Octavia Butler during my freshman year in college and swore to myself I would read more of her work but I never got around to it until now. For that, I’m kicking myself. This book was hard to get through because the allegory of what could happen in the future is a much closer reality than I had hoped. This story is a warning, a premonition, a glimpse into a very scary future. Exploring themes of government corruption, climate change, extreme poverty, inability to live without creature comforts, drug abuse, and violence Butler tells a story that in many ways doesn’t seem that far off from being a reality. The characters are well-developed and easy to love and the story is terrible yet truthful. I can’t wait to read more of this series and more of Butler’s work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, 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

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

The society we know in the US has fallen apart in 2025. the economy has collapsed, Violence on the streets has forced neighborhoods to erect walls for protection, many people are becoming homeless, and climate change makes survival even more of a challenge. Lauren learns what it means to survive inside of her walled neighborhood and outside. 

For readers looking for 💕: Intense stories of survival, catastrophic climate change and social upheaval, creative world building, books with black protagonists, community building

My thoughts 💭: I'm not much for books about religion, or dystopian stories (I mostly picked this up because I've loved other Butler books). Even so, I enjoyed this book. I thought the world building was excellent, and loved the collecting of their found family quite a lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Xenophobia