Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

106 reviews

mischorda's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

tinyjude's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

A bit too spiritual/religious for me but I feel like the comments and take on society (post climate change / post-apocalyptic) were very realistic. Probably one of the most realistic dystopian novels I have ever read. Furthermore, I liked how it showed the importance of building up a community that works for each other, although I felt uncomfortable because of the age gap between the protagonist and the old man.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

helliepad's review

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

I never cared for science fiction or survivalist/dystopian novels but for some reason this book hit the spot. Maybe it's because Octavia E. Butler took great care in emphasizing community action and compassion as a way to save ourselves from our own premeditated hellfires. Maybe it's because the events of this book really do read like my current Twitter feed and newspapers. Maybe it's just really great, well-resewrched and thought out writing. Either way this was great and I highly recommend it but do mind the warnings for the book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Abandonment

nataliereinhart's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

booksviavilla's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jlaz_13's review

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

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.

---

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

---

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

amasbealcuadrado's review

dark 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? No

5.0

Loved it. It blew my mind.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, and Suicide

hubes's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

4.0

Really thought provoking in a way that scifi typically hasnt felt for me but also super frustrating that so much time is given to a creepy relationship towards the end.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Rape, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Trafficking