Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

30 reviews

heemeeraa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lisacanteven's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This is my first Octavia Butler book to read, and I wish I had done so sooner. This book is brilliant. I am not sure what I was expecting, maybe Octavia's prose to be a bit less accessible. But I just clicked with it right away, and I think that is very important when writing a book that is such a powerful glimpse into our country and the faults that it has. Sure, we aren't there yet but we could be in the future. Lauren was such an intriguing character. Dare I say that I loved her? I think I did. Her strength and tenacity had me cheering for her the whole time. Does that mean I would be a great cult member? I won't look too deeply into that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Incest, Sexual content, Suicide, and Alcohol

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

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

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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

mads_reads_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mutua1core's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, 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!

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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

mac23's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

mmestitches's review

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

5.0

Powerful boo, but stressful to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

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

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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