Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

286 reviews

dmrains's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Gore, Racism, Mental illness, Sexism, Blood, Chronic illness, Child death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Sexual content and Drug use

nyst's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Grief, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Drug use, Death of parent, Violence, Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Rape, Trafficking, and Sexual content

meghancolbert's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is so heavy and so dark. It’s chilling to see how accurately Butler predicted the 2020s in 1993. It’s a difficult but necessary read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Addiction, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Racism

chadconnecticut's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

My first Butler novel, after being introduced to her work last year via BLOODCHILD. There really is no one out there doing it like she did, and this novel’s spirit, soul, and prescience are wound through every page. The current discourse surrounding science fiction, climate fiction, and dystopian genre fiction seems to hinge on the way the subject material treats its readers, with so many people grasping for work that tackles the intersections of political and climate breakdown with thought and maturity. 

And while there’s much handwringing over this, it seems anything current readers are grasping for is simply reinventing the wheel that Butler shaped nearly 30 years ago. This book is sobering and pulls no punches, but it also grounds itself firmly in the hope and possibility of community. 

Butler is one of the greatest to ever do it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Gun violence, Blood, Drug abuse, Animal death, Slavery, and Murder

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Trafficking

Minor: Rape

tafeeeeee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I was nervous to start reading because I  know Octavia Butler's books can be heavy and dark. It was hard at times but I never wanted to stop reading. I'm left wondering how close we are to this dystopian world. 

The narrator's voice is amazing. I want to listen to more of her narrations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Gun violence, and Slavery

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, and Blood

bohemianhermit04's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Murder, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Cannibalism, and Cursing

jess_eliza's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Violence, Rape, Mass/school shootings, Sexual assault, War, and Sexual violence

bexrecca's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

My first Octavia Butler and now I'm wondering what took me so long. While it was a little strange having a much older woman narrating for a teenager, Lynne Thigpen's voice was so soothing and wonderful for this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Racism

daysanchez's review against another edition

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, Body horror, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child death, Drug use, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Animal death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, and Sexual content

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

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Content Warnings

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

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