Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

814 reviews

keyansbookshelf's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Rape

buggywonderland's review

dark emotional sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

denaeee_'s review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Violence

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, and Slavery

gmclapp's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

Terrible. 

Enormous plot holes, gratuitous rape and violence serving no purpose whatsoever. Any characters you might care about killed off constantly. All in service of an aimless plot and pompous main character. 

Don't read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

adisiki's review against another edition

3.5

Read as an audiobook! This was good, Butler’s writing is incredible and her ability to create fantasy/dystopian/science fiction stories that still so accurately reflect society’s issues of racism, capitalism, etc. is truly a masterpiece. Lauren was such an interesting main character to follow, she’s unlike any other protagonist I’ve read, she’s already so established and sure of herself and the world around her even at 15. My only struggle was that it felt repetitive and slow at times, which is to be expected with the nature of the story, but the majority of this book was Lauren preaching Earthseed and picking up strays on the journey north. I’m very interested to see what the second book expands on and where the story goes to wrap it up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Slavery and Cannibalism

sarah_king_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

5.0

The parallels between this book and what is happening in the world now are chilling. I don’t know if I have the words to really capture the experience of reading this book, but will include two of the many things that stuck out to me as I read it.

“Change is ongoing. Everything changes in some way—size, position, composition, frequency, velocity, thinking, whatever. Every living thing, every bit of matter, all the energy in the universe changes in some way. I don’t claim that everything changes in every way, but everything changes in some way.”

“Moral: The weak can overcome the strong if the weak persist. Persisting isn’t always safe, but it’s often necessary .”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

tjforrest's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

There is a strong reference to religion in this book which is why I didn’t give it a 5. But it did also open my mind to a new way of viewing “God”. This story is very realistic in the way of what our country could look like in 10-15 years and the direction we’re headed. Most dystopian novels are more based in advanced technology and a century or two in the future. Whereas this book is current day, 2024-2027 (written in 1993). It focuses on the economy, climate change, drugs, and corporate debt slavery leading to the downfall of our country and society which is much more realistic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Rape

alstrid's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

Who told Octavia Butler what 2024 was going to be like?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Xenophobia

Moderate: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

alainanyps's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

I wish i read this in school. The library holds wait was more than worth it. As someone who has studied history and sees the cycles this was beyond eerie. It is not prophetic but it is a possible look into the future. Will be buying a copy of this and the Talents. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War

yazmine528's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail