Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

107 reviews

tafeeeeee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

It was interesting being in Olamina's head. I didn't agree with most of what she said and believed. I liked hearing her daughter's POV and being able to see Olamina through someone else's eyes. I don't know if I like Olamina as a character. On one hand she grew up in a horribly dangerous place and had to go through so much hardship and fear. On the other hand she was a charismatic woman capable of seducing people to follow her teachings. Whether you think Earth Seed is a cult or not, her methods were very cult-like. I'm left feeling unsatisfied by the ending, but dystopias usually don't end with rainbows and sunshine for all.

I didn't like the new narrator for Olamina. She stressed every other word so her sentences were constantly flowing up and down. It was distracting and made it hard to focus sometimes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Slavery, Death, Violence, Blood, Gore, Physical abuse, Confinement, Rape, and Trafficking

nikkib5's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-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

If you have never read this book, now is the time (though read the first one first) The parallels to our current environment are spooky. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

phantomgecko's review

challenging dark sad 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? Yes

4.0

Reading this in 2024 made me crazy. Octavia E Butler obviously understood human nature and the way our particular society is because the dystopian future in this book uncannily foreshadows today.

Aside from that. I agree with every character that said Earthseed is nothing. Aphorisms, platitudes, and some nonsense. Lauren says "it's truth" as if that's obvious. But it is not.

I digress. The format of Asha/Larkin reviewing/compiling Lauren's history was a good idea. Her commentary was a nice backdrop for the plot.

Everything about Marc infuriated me. It was realistic. But so aggravating.

Again, Butler really really understood people.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Slavery, and Torture

madihoney's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Slavery, War, Classism, Violence, Rape, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Death, Murder, Misogyny, Grief, Sexism, and Torture

hurlyburlywitch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

Beautiful, agonising, soulful tale. I want to keep reading these, gnawing through one after another, and I feel a bit lost that it's all over already. 
Dark, challenging. Dare to know yourself and your feelings about change and sin. 
Also every trigger warning. So so many. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

saintswitchblade's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Classism, Religious bigotry, War, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Child abuse, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Slavery

victoria29's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

It’s a great story but a tough read.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Torture, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Racism, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Child abuse, Rape, Death, Classism, Violence, Slavery, Addiction, and Drug abuse

cadence99's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

To hear the phrase “make America great again” flowing from the pages of a book published in 1998 is haunting to say the least. I greatly appreciated the exploration of Christian extremism in relation to Laurens Earthseed, but as with the last book, I really wish there was more explanation for what appears to me as an incredibly  flawed and power imbalanced relationship between Bankole and Lauren

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Grief, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Torture, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Violence, War, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Suicide

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

this book was so heartbreaking and painful. very terrifying how realistic this feels for the beginning of 2024, octavia butler is a genius. 
i very painfully related to asha and understood her complex feelings with her mother and the ways she prioritized earthseed, even if i wanted to fucking kill marc.
i think i would have be an earthseed hater but also i would absolutely join. community is everything. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, War, Suicide, Trafficking, Violence, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Slavery, Misogyny, Murder, Incest, Pedophilia, Torture, Ableism, Child death, Death, Police brutality, and Miscarriage

aducharme4's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Slavery, Sexual assault, Death, Torture, Rape, and Trafficking