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shaynicole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
c_cant98's review
- 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
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
otherwordy's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
finnifinn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
shansometimes's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
If you find climate change or apocalypse scenarios scary or even interesting, you'll be into this. There's also a strong female lead character, Lauren, who is 15 years old when the story starts. She, her family, and her tight-knit group of neighbors live in an isolated (semi-protected from danger by a wall) neighborhood. They're trying to survive in a world that is being wrecked by climate catastrophe, crony capitalism, and violence driven by desperation, drug abuse, and extreme need.
This is my second book by Octavia E. Butler, and while I enjoyed Kindred, what she accomplished (and predicted) with Parable of the Sower blew me away even more. I was intrigued all the way through, in distress half the time, and impressed by most of it.
It read a bit like a YA novel, which I guess makes sense given the lead character's age. A big age gap relationship was introduced, which felt weird and unnecessary. I would've liked more context about what led up to Lauren's world becoming what it did. There are a lot of elements that mostly work well together, including Lauren's hyper-empathy disorder and the new religion she's trying to form, Earthseed. I found the amount of religion stuff tiring at times. I also didn't love the book's ending, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues in the sequel, Parable of the Talents.
To sum it up, Parable of the Sower is a powerful and prophetic book that creates an unnervingly accurate picture of what happens when environmental and economic issues go unchecked. I expected to love this and I did—it was just a much more brutal and bleak read than I expected.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse
novel_nymph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
alexandryareads's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Rape
meagangrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Grief, and Cannibalism
aksmith92's review against another edition
- 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
The Setup: Parable of the Sower is a dystopian novel set in a future America (psst., it starts in 2024 because this novel was written in the 90s) ravaged by climate change, economic collapse, and social breakdown. The story follows Lauren Olamina, a girl born with "hyperempathy," - a condition that causes her to feel others' pain physically. Growing up in a walled community in California, Lauren witnesses her once-protected neighborhood fall apart under the pressure of extreme poverty, violence, and drug addiction.
After Pyro-addicted arsonists destroy her community (that's an element you have to read to believe), Lauren embarks on a dangerous journey north with a small group of survivors. Along the way, she shares her belief system, Earthseed, which posits that "God is Change" and that humanity's destiny lies in spreading life among the stars. The novel explores themes of survival, adaptability, community, and the role of empathy in a world where kindness can be a weakness.
This novel is a powerful and prophetic work. Its examination of societal breakdown and insights into the intersection of climate change, inequality, and human resilience are chillingly relatable even in our not-so-dystopian time. Butler's world-building and Lauren's journey are both thought-provoking and eerily relevant.
What I loved: NOTHING! Just kidding. I loved everything about this book, but not because it was a light-hearted and fun read. I felt the same way about Kindred, which wound up in my 6-star-read "shelf." This novel also landed on that shelf because Octavia E Butler knew what she was doing. This encapsulated the human experience in a grim yet probable (and therefore, horrifying) way and showcased the necessity of empathy and kindness in a world where that could get you killed. Lauren maybe wasn't the most relatable, but she was brilliant and wanted to give the world something to look forward to in such a dark time. I couldn't help but root for her and the people she traveled with.
Butler's legacy is truly a master of speculative fiction - this novel oozed a warning while also signaling hope. This book was a powerful social commentary and a beacon of hope for readers seeking positive outcomes in uncertain times while not being overly happy (because that won't happen). Additionally, some might say the "hyperempathy" element was thrown in there haphazardly, but I would beg to differ. Incorporating that almost magical realism piece was such a lovely touch to sensationalize empathy in a good way - if we all could feel that much pain, would we be in this situation? It brought out so many questions that I think are super relevant to our lives now and will be going forward. I loved everything about this book, even when it was hard to read - we need to read books like these, even if they defeat us.
It's another 6-star read for me, but it might not be for you. It's dark, grim, and violent, and it showcases the darkest parts of humanity, or what could be humanity. That may not be for you, but I encourage you to pick it up and think critically about it. Butler's prose is generally straight to the point and sometimes even emotionless, which I can see people having a hard time getting into, but my love for her work will supersede any minor issue. It was an honor to read this book, even if it was emotionally damaging. Read it!!
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content
adalinemccormick's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Alcohol