Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

135 reviews

gar42's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I jumped into this right after finishing parable of the sower because I wanted to read more about the good experiences of Acorn. I wasn’t ready for horrors worse than what happened in the first book. 

The parallels between this book and contemporary America are horrific. But the messages of sowing the seeds not for our own gratification, but for the good of those who come after us, are more important than ever. 

Much faster paced than the first book, and a more nuanced, complicated picture of Lauren and of Earthseed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Pedophilia, Suicide, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

lisacanteven's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

This series is now my favorite series of all time. I'm having a hard time choosing if I liked the first book or this book better, but I think I liked the first book a little better. The reason is that I did think the ending was a little bit rushed. I don't think it was too rushed, but if I was forced to choose which book I liked more and why that would be my reason. 

I was afraid that this book would end on a huge cliffhanger considering there was supposed to be a third that was never finished before Octavia Butler's death. I'm happy to say that this book could have easily finished the series, and no one would be disappointed. I was so relieved about that, and I thought the way everything wrapped up (except for being a tad bit rushed) was done brilliantly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Classism, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Body horror, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Violence, and War

blessi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Rape, Slavery, War, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Murder, Child death, Death of parent, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Violence, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Addiction

badbadwolf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Slavery, Abandonment, Classism, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Blood, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Confinement, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and Trafficking

rmperezpadilla's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Sexism, and Slavery

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Police brutality, Self harm, War, and Kidnapping

areesastock704's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Suicide, Racism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, War, Grief, Violence, Torture, Rape, Kidnapping, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

janfiler99's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Classism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Death, Religious bigotry, Blood, Grief, Rape, Trafficking, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, and War

haerin's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

kinda wild how much closer we get to the america octavia butler wrote about in the late 90s. so many aspects of what happens is so relevant to today. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Slavery, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, War, and Trafficking

Minor: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Car accident

heathernependa's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

I still can't believe this book is real. Octavia Butler is a prophet. Parable of the Talents is eerily prescient, featuring the most chilling and plausible storyline in science fiction story I have ever encountered. Despite being grim and dystopian the novel is still aspirational and forward-looking. This is new favourite for me!! 

"To survive,
Let the past
Teach you
Past customs,
Struggles,
Leaders and thinkers.
Let
These
Help you.
Let them inspire you,
Warn you,
Give you strength.
But beware:
God is Change.
Past is past.
What was
Cannot
Come again"

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence

sarahh87's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Trafficking