Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

26 reviews

bubblybelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

wow. this is such a harrowing story that bears terrifying resemblance to modern day America. Octavia Butler’s words and infinitely quotable and leave me feeling simultaneously heartbroken and hopeful. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

maxicosi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Abortion, and Outing

seph268's review

challenging dark informative 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? No

5.0

Octavia Butler wrote a manual for survival our unprecedented times and we’ve all been overlooking it. Would absolutely recommend, cannot wait to reread.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

daysanchez's review

adventurous 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

akamuva's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

keyradiator's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative tense fast-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? No

5.0

This book is really a marvel. Octavia Butler's writing is accessible, evocative, crisp, and visceral; reading her and Ursula K. Le Guin made me realize I took entirely too long reading several mediocre science fiction books from more mainstream authors.

There is a thing or two in this book that are structurally suboptimal, but overall, the pacing is biting and cohesive, the characters have deeeeep stories and flaws, and the world building is some of the best I've ever read.

This book is dark. You can't quite prepare yourself for just how dark it gets, yet, somehow Butler manages to make a beam of hope cut through all of the noise that carries you through. Please read this book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Vomit, Police brutality, Cannibalism, and War

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Car accident, and Toxic friendship

audwild's review

adventurous dark tense medium-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

imogenclendinning's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

edevoe8891's review

dark sad tense medium-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

1.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cannibalism

morphashark's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad 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? No

5.0

Really interesting kind of post apocalypse story, emphasising the importance of community and constructing communities, and how mythmaking binds people together. It's a "kind of post apocalypse" as it has all the hallmarks of a post apocalypse setting, but unusually it is noticeably mid-apocalypse. The USA still exists in some form and it's clear that things are still mid collapse, and that semblance of remaining "civilisation" and the hope of a return to the past is what makes the setting interesting. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder

Some of the things I've tagged here like sexual assault are not extremely detailed fortunately but more than just mentioned in passing. Even when the description itself is not explicit the impact of these things on the group is more detailed.