Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

100 reviews

oddpilot97's review against another edition

I’ve heard that this is a must-read and I know it’s a classic.

It’s too dark for me right now. 😬 There were mentions of rape in the first 10 minutes and more soon after. Plus a completed suicide. Really bleak.

Another reviewer said they felt it was less dystopian or post-apocalyptic and more apocalyptic. I didn’t get far in but that reflects my feelings.

I have no doubt this is an important work, but I need to protect my brain space by setting this down.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Violence, and Blood

psistillreadyou's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, and Cannibalism

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Incest, Pedophilia, and Trafficking

Age gap relationship

gremlinjane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This was a re-read, which I will clearly do every 5 to 10 years. As with all Octavia Butler, one can connect to new and different concepts or experiences with each reading. As we grow, do can it thoughts about these troubling books. 

Despite the horrors and atrocities of this world (that holds so many prescient parallels to our own), this book is full of humanity. The author offers us hopeful ideas and also forces the reader to create and discover their own 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death, Rape, Torture, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

t4t1312's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Very intense but rly one of the best books ever written

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War

murray3's review

adventurous 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

Minor: Animal death

This has probably like every trigger warning ever to some degree, far warning. Also it includes elements of religion if you are not into religion. It also talks a lot about politics and government. This is the first book of a two book series.

lisacanteven's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This is my first Octavia Butler book to read, and I wish I had done so sooner. This book is brilliant. I am not sure what I was expecting, maybe Octavia's prose to be a bit less accessible. But I just clicked with it right away, and I think that is very important when writing a book that is such a powerful glimpse into our country and the faults that it has. Sure, we aren't there yet but we could be in the future. Lauren was such an intriguing character. Dare I say that I loved her? I think I did. Her strength and tenacity had me cheering for her the whole time. Does that mean I would be a great cult member? I won't look too deeply into that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Incest, Sexual content, Suicide, and Alcohol

marinhein2000's review

adventurous challenging dark reflective fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, and War

amorphousbl0b's review

dark 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 death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Slavery, Police brutality, and Trafficking

arifairy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

tobias_ewing's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicide