Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

20 reviews

rachelmerrie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

The first half was very interesting, the second half lost my attention. I think the second half maybe was just as interesting, just dragged on? The concept is so captivating and challenging. Worth the read, tons of TWs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, War, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Child death, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Trafficking, Gore, Animal death, Addiction, Pedophilia, Murder, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation

conspiracycrows's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Reading this, in 2023 as a 25 year old is eerie. Especially when the main character was born the same year as your younger sibling. This book will set you on edge, make you think, and remind you in so many ways that people are people.
Evil, angry, barbaric
And
Kind, good, thoughtful 
You will find the phrase "god is change" drifting through your thiughts no matter your religion, because no matter your religion something about it rings true. 
The one true constant in this world is change. 
And in accepting that we can begin to use that change. 
I hope, pray, and work to make sure a future like the one in this book never comes to pass. That as much as this world changes, I can at least guide my small portion of it to something softer. 
If enough of us do that, perhaps we can make a world that is kinder, that is softer. 
A world where someone with hyper empathy, whether the extreme syndrome detailed here, or the real life symptom of some neurodivergent people like myself, do not have to be afraid of seeing the world around us. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Murder, Body horror, Drug abuse, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Suicide, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Trafficking, Child death, and Gore

Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Classism

dean_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, War, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Excrement, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Bullying, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Drug use, Genocide, Pregnancy, Addiction, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Vomit, Violence, War, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Car accident, Murder, and Stalking

gmortg3's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Stalking, Incest, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Body horror, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, War, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Slavery, Colonisation, Hate crime, Suicide, Trafficking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy

ashtronaut's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Classism, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Child death, Child abuse, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

miked's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative sad 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: Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Transphobia, Trafficking, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Sexual violence, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child death, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Violence

eamador's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Slavery, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and War

kshertz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

This whole book is fantastic and complicated. I read it before the pandemic, then re read. Then I read the graphic novel. It’s set in 2024 and just the reality of how much this dystopia could really be our future is hard to take at times.
The idea that humans could really just go back to barely surviving because we can’t collectively be a community and then realizing we have to again become a community to again rise out of poverty and all these hellscapes…is a lot. Octavia was a genius and this is definitely a brilliant book but just a hard truth to take. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and War

anntharai's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad 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

I can’t believe it took me this long to read a book by Butler. 

The writing is engaging, the story devastating, and the whole concept deeply thought provoking. 

So much of this story is terrifying and stomach churning and yet …. 

Depressingly unsurprising.

 Maybe that’s cynical but, or maybe it’s just a shame. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

chloebethx_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Slavery, Trafficking, and Violence