Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

79 reviews

heemeeraa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

analia's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.25

Eerie and powerful. Listening to this audiobook in 2024 knowing she wrote this two decades ago, realizing how little has changed is…heavy. The book is slow but worthwhile. It hit close to home because of the setting for me, and made me reflect on the decisions many are forced to make during dire circumstances. I loved the protagonist and her belief system. Although it was heavy it does have optimism, driven by the main character’s outlook. My first Octavia book but definitely not my last. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

gabriella_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

This was a great introduction into Octavia Butler for me. The writing style was gripping and the characters were fantastic. The plot was heavy but in a realistic way (especially for a dystopian, it made sense and is even more eerie to read in 2024). I wasn’t a big fan of the “starting a religion” stuff, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

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

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

dmrains's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Drug use and Sexual content

gustgustgust's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

This book shocked me. It was written in the '90s and yet it felt prophetic. If it was written in this year, people would say it was too on-the-nose. 

The story is beautiful. the main character, Lauren Olamina, is such a beautiful, complicated character. The relationships are complicated and dense and tentative. The real shining moment is just the world Bulter weaved. It felt not only like it happened, but that I was watching it happen in front of me. It's not for me to adapt, but it is definitely something that would make an incredible series if given full opportunity to be as dark, grim, and haunting as it needs to be. 

The only thing that knocked it down for me was there was a lot of violence, and I understand that the world needed it so it's just a personal taste thing. I don't think anything was don't to scandalize or be outrageous, it was true to the world, I just got pulled out going "oh no, this is too much, too real" 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sabrinazj's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Vomit, Police brutality, and Cannibalism

Father is deemed dead by disappearance.

Minor religious trauma

mald626's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

tayngerous's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Incest and Pedophilia

eelitorr's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I wish everyone would read this. Very hard to make it through the content at times, but Octavia Butler is one of the best writers of this generation. A visionary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury