Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

611 reviews

booksdogsandcoffee's review

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

Powerful, prophetic, and poignant. Butler took issues she saw such as climate change, religion, racism and many more that we as humans were struggling with in the 1990’s and extrapolated them to what they could look like in 30 years. And quite honestly she was not far off on how society is described in Parable. This book hits hard and needs to be read by everyone. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent

jessbu's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

_david_'s review against another edition

dark slow-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

2.5

I don't really see a reason to pick up this book.

The book did not manage to grip me. There was a lot of repetition and the constant same amount of tension and chaos made it oddly boring. I didn't feel immersed and stopped caring about the character, I just felt like I was on a slow monorail just logging through the chapters.

I didn't like the main character, she felt very young with the naive "I've figured out the world" mindset, without ever being punished for it. She never questioned her own way of thinking either.

The world building was lackluster, the multiple themes which seemed to make this book special (pyromania, dystopia, starting a new religion) were never really expanded on or even challenged. It's just as it is and you only read about the direct current consequences to the characters.

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Infertility and Vomit

af666014's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Very interesting combo of societal issues in an apocalyptic world. Definitely a gruesome read but good.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

manyofmae's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kolonfrancis's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

A beautiful and almost prescient read. This was my first book by Butler that I have read and I was instantly captured by the prose and world building. The relationships that build, collapse, and die are beautifully executed.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

betsybarc's review

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

pastacatz's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

3.5

For whatever reason I kept putting this one down and needing to come back to it just to try to finish it.

Finally did. Took me forever. I have appreciation for the vision and the story, especially relevant to now.

How does one handle the end of civilization as we know it? I found some of it really dragged for me and I lost track of characters a bit. I liked the context setting and world building start of the book more than the middle journey + the ending.

Didn't love the old man bedding the teen protagonist either.

I dunno, thematically l enjoyed it, and it holds wisdom to consider, enjoyed some of the

"earthseed" reflections, but plot wise I didn't love it.

I'm not sure if I'll read the second book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use and Sexual content

meaghanelizabook's review

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Incest, and Slavery