Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

La parabola del seminatore by Octavia E. Butler

59 reviews

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

I read Dawn by Octavia Butler during my freshman year in college and swore to myself I would read more of her work but I never got around to it until now. For that, I’m kicking myself. This book was hard to get through because the allegory of what could happen in the future is a much closer reality than I had hoped. This story is a warning, a premonition, a glimpse into a very scary future. Exploring themes of government corruption, climate change, extreme poverty, inability to live without creature comforts, drug abuse, and violence Butler tells a story that in many ways doesn’t seem that far off from being a reality. The characters are well-developed and easy to love and the story is terrible yet truthful. I can’t wait to read more of this series and more of Butler’s work. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Death

jazdewills's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I enjoyed this. Most apocalypse stories are the big event triggers societal collapse. This one is the slow, frog-boiling end of the world we're experiencing the beginnings of now is a combination of really interesting and absolutely terrifying. 

I've previously read Kindred by this author, and I need to know, was Octavia Butler a time traveler, or just prescient?

(I will be continuing on with the series.)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Incest

Minor: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, and Vomit

bodiesinbooks's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

Minor: Addiction, Cannibalism, and Infertility

azazellos_fang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Slavery, and Trafficking

Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

empathephant's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

The most important dystopic novel I've ever read. The content is very uncomfortable, but I think everyone who can should read it. Particularly prescient in 2020.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Police brutality, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual content, Racism, Sexism, and Addiction

Minor: Ableism

America is essentially experiencing a complete breakdown.

iconoclasticgentleman's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.5

What a wild ride of a book. I read Emergent Strategy by adrienne marie brown before this, and she draws a lot on Butler and Earthseed, so I had a sense of the philosophical thread to the book, which does call to me as an agnostic queer woman. Lauren grew on me more as the book went on -- I found it a little jarring that a fifteen-year-old would be so self-assured, but it was refreshing too.

The most uncomfortable part of the book, for me, would be

Lauren's relationship with Bankole.

Then again, after having read Fledgeling as a sophomore in college, I am well aware of Butler's interest in writing age-gap relationships. Hopefully it isn't too strange in Talents. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking

zimmie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Child death, and Gun violence

Minor: Cannibalism, Slavery, Sexism, Police brutality, Gore, Grief, Animal death, and Drug abuse

tiana_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful reflective sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Incest, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Slavery

rosiewants2read's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Octavia Butler is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. This book is amazing 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Torture

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Slavery, and Child death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Sexism, Suicide, and Toxic relationship