Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

159 reviews

isa182's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Police brutality, Cannibalism, and Murder

thisreadingcorner's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

In Parable of the Sower, Butler introduces us to Lauren Olamina, a teenage girl navigating a dystopian California in 2024 (published in 1993). In the discussion guide at the back of my edition, Butler names her inspiration quite succinctly - she’s not a psychic, the doom and gloom of Lauren’s world was a natural extrapolation of all the failures of the world she existed (and we continue to exist) in. The “growing rich/poor gap…throwaway labor…our willingness to build and fill prisons, our reluctance to build and repair schools and libraries…our assault on the environment…global warming…food-price driven inflation…increased vulnerability to disease.” You get it.

Through her fight for survival and the birth of her belief system - Earthseed - Lauren learns a lot about community and community building, loss, safety, love, and power. The parallels are never ending - policed borders causing increased violence and racial polarization, economic instability collapsing class and privilege across the nation, refugees being marched from city to city in pursuit of “safety” from oppressive forces, capitalistic exploitation of the working class, and a despotic president to top it all off.

Butler’s questions capture it best: Where are we going? What sort of future are we creating? Is this the kind of future you want to live in? If It isn’t, what can we do to create a better future? Individually and in groups, what can we do?

Perhaps we’d be in a better place if more of our individual and group actions came in response to these prompts, and that is a great guide to keep in mind as we enter this season of hibernation and annual renewal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

glassdanse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

this book is not for the faint of heart. it is a beautifully written book though. not one I would recommend to everybody

tashba's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Slavery, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content and Cannibalism

emerentina's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

missanareads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

This book was heavy and hard to read. It’s hard to think that humanity would ever be like this so it’s hard to sink into. I also could have done without the religion creating, but maybe that just went over my head. Interesting read, but wouldn’t read again 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism

noirhimbo's review against another edition

dark informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book literally lit a fire in me that no man, woman, or God can extinguish. Read it and be Changed. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Cannibalism

zams's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I really thought a long time about how to review this book and I'm still not sure what to say.
It's scary close to what's already happening in a lot of places, and it fed my brain with tons of material to think about. I don't know if Lauren being a teenager made a lot of sense to me the way her character is behaving, but maybe she's a product of what's happening, and it doesn't seem too unusual, considering how the others around her age are acting. I think all of the characters were very fleshed out, I still don't know why the love interest had to be this old, but maybe one day I will understand.
It didn't seem like a lot was happening for a good chunk of the book, but the writing style made this go by without much fuss as well, which was verey surprising to me. I definitly think I might have to re-read this again in some time, after I've had a bit more time to process my thoughts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Pregnancy

raptorq's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of 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, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Police brutality and Cannibalism

Minor: Addiction, Incest, Suicide, Medical content, and Trafficking

mondovertigo's review

dark emotional 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Cannibalism

Minor: Incest, Racism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy