Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

112 reviews

mattyb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, and Abandonment

sabrinazj's review

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Vomit, Police brutality, and Cannibalism

Father is deemed dead by disappearance.

Minor religious trauma

junglejelly's review against another edition

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? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Murder

lexilu2's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Body horror

dwarrowdams's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.5

A fresh and interesting take on the dystopia genre, but with a lot more death and violence and other horrors (and a lot more detail about those things) than I personally care for.

I did like Butler’s writing style, and definitely plan to pick up some of her other books that are more in my wheelhouse.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Death of parent

Minor: Racism, Rape, and Police brutality

florendie's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Octavia Butler is one of the greats when it comes to dystopia and speculative fiction. Her writing style (simple and to the point) and the realism with which the characters behave make this book painfllly relevant, scary and hopeful at the same time. I'm not a religious person but the way Lauren talked about change resonated with me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, even if I would have preferred

Lauren to be a less Messiah-like figure and a relationship with someone her own age.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Murder

bmt1005's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

theemeraldgirl23's review

dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

A fantastic speculative fiction novel about our current times and what would happen if California became a dystopian wasteland. Lauren Olamina is a tremendous and refreshing protagonist from her view on God and community. It was unlike any book I've ever read before. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Cannibalism, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Excrement

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

cynopsis's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment