Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

201 reviews

elizlizabeth's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

Hopeful dystopia, quick read and it raises some interesting points. It reminded me of The Dispossessed but in a more straightforward narration style, so if you like LeGuin's approach to Scifi but often feel confused by the elaborate plot maybe this one's for you. 
The audiobook was good, immersive and non-obtrusive narrator.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Trafficking, and Rape

Minor: Cannibalism

florendie's review against another edition

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

bmt1005's review against another edition

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

mutua1core's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

theemeraldgirl23's review against another edition

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

4.25

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

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

keyradiator's review against another edition

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: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Child abuse, Classism, Gore, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Gun violence, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Violence, Child death, Medical content, Trafficking, Self harm, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Police brutality, Cannibalism, Body horror, Animal death, Vomit, and War

Minor: Self harm, Car accident, Child abuse, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Suicide, War, Sexual violence, and Incest

Minor: Fatphobia, Excrement, and Vomit

Adult/minor relationship warning is also for a relationship between a grown adult and an 18-year-old.

julieallison's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Slavery, Incest, Physical abuse, Torture, Child abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Cursing, Cannibalism, Child death, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Addiction, Classism, Death, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, and Drug use

mac23's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

happylilfaerie's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

2.5

The more I think about this book the less I like it. Americans have “become” evil and are raping, torturing and cannibalising each other. Where does evil come from? Why are women and girls being raped every page but not a single man is raped? Drug users are usually seeking an escape and to be able to cope with life, in this book they are evil people who want to set others on fire, why? 

None of the interesting aspects bought up were explored - hyperempathy, company towns, how to live off the land, and building community in disaster.

The masses walking on foot from one part of the country to another to seek safety and resources echoes very familiarly to me as an Iraqi. Just look at Falisteen right now. We help each other, protect each other, share our food etc.  I suppose a population as savage and uncivilised as the west couldn’t be expected to know how to behave when resources become scarce. 

Why was the unethical relationship between a teenager and a 57 year old, a whole 40 years older, normalised and made to seem okay? That man is a predator, I don’t give a shit how “mature” the child seems. 

The side characters kind of blurred together, instead of personality and development, they were given sob backstories. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual violence, Rape, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Torture, Slavery, Violence, and Sexual assault