Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

436 reviews

gremlinjane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This was a re-read, which I will clearly do every 5 to 10 years. As with all Octavia Butler, one can connect to new and different concepts or experiences with each reading. As we grow, do can it thoughts about these troubling books. 

Despite the horrors and atrocities of this world (that holds so many prescient parallels to our own), this book is full of humanity. The author offers us hopeful ideas and also forces the reader to create and discover their own 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death, Rape, Torture, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

t4t1312's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Very intense but rly one of the best books ever written

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War

katerbie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Rape, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Animal death and Cannibalism

murray3's review against another edition

adventurous 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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

Minor: Animal death

This has probably like every trigger warning ever to some degree, far warning. Also it includes elements of religion if you are not into religion. It also talks a lot about politics and government. This is the first book of a two book series.

micaelabrody's review against another edition

4.5

not much i can say that anyone hasn’t said better, but. one of the few books about god that managed to not feel very christian even as it explicitly draws on christianity. butler is a master at the use of brutality contrasted with hope - without feeling saccharine or cheap. she has an economy of language in her prose that makes the violence feel more impactful and visceral, and of course immediate (reading that “2024” at the beginning of the book was downright chilling). while i know i read fledgling in college for a class i don’t remember this so it really was like a great intro to one of the greats’ work. i do wish i’d been able to read this when i was less busy with both work and mania and looking forward to reading it again one day.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Death, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury

angielina's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape

abi_lowe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Cannibalism, and Colonisation

shesreadingagain_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

bessadams's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Incest, Racism, Police brutality, and Trafficking

skimkaye's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

It was fine. I liked the overall plot and themes. Pacing was a bit all over the place, but I dont generally mind that. I really liked the commentary on religion with people saying that Earthseed was made up or not anything, and Earthseed itself criticizing other religions while becoming one. The characters were the biggest disappointment to me, they are all very flat and need fleshing out. Lauren is hyper hyperempathetic but even her own internal monologue is emotionless. Bankole is a creepy old man and everyone else is just fine with it. Characters like Travis and Jill are introduced and then barely mentioned. 

I think that I just wanted more from this book. I will probably read the sequel though.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury