Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

194 reviews

dragongirl271's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, and Cannibalism

buzzybuzzybeefudge's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

A masterfully written book with incredibly interesting characters! I loved the concept of Earthseed and how Lauren came to discover it. It was fascinating to see the world through her brilliant eyes. I wish there were more explanation of the recent history of the book's world, as it is set in the near future, but overall a very worthwhile read. Definitely a modern classic.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Fire/Fire injury

sondered's review

challenging dark 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Trafficking

murve's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual content

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 

---

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

---

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

shesreadingagain_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

jgrant512's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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? N/A

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Cursing, Physical abuse, and Rape

Minor: Addiction, Slavery, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

gar42's review

adventurous challenging dark inspiring tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I had heard so much about this book, and it was on my TBR forever, but I knew I had to start it this year, 2024, which is when the book is set. 

This is a dystopian novel to end all dystopian novels. Deeply unsettling, yet steeped in reality, in trends of the past and hope for the future. 

Lauren’s character was so compelling throughout. Her wisdom and her hope, despite having no reason to believe in a better world, pushed me through the darkness and grittiness of this novel. I can understand why this book has found itself in “current events” sections in bookstores and libraries. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

woodiefrog's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

4.75

Octavia E. Butler’s one of most astoundingly beautiful and cruel works. The apocalyptic future she painted in this book made me shiver in the dark, the realism foreboding. But as in her fashion, she always gives us glimmers of hope, and in this book the light to guide the way that if we choose to see, is community. Also a very clever way to check protagonist’s power and adding (even more, lol) tension to the plot with that special genetic mutation. Do give a read if you love sci-fi and are/or looking for sci-fi that’s  brutally honest but not gratuitously graphic, and grim for grim’s sake. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Rape, Violence, and Murder