Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy

22 reviews

drbex's review

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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A little too close to home at points. Especially considering it's set in 2024-2027!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic

whatthemel1's review

4.0

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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“I think necessity drew me to the series” - John Jennings (265). Great adaptation of a brilliant author’s work. It has been interesting to reflect on graphic novels and the “narrative power of comics” (267) — the genre’s conventions that Duffy and Jennings used to bring Butler’s story to life in a new way. I do feel the graphic novel was not able to fully capture elements of Butler’s original work, but that would have been an impossibility. As an educator using this graphic novel in an undergraduate seminar, I am especially appreciative of the wonderful teaching resources at the conclusion of the book. I eagerly await reading the authors’ Parable of the Talents adaptation, to be released in April 2025.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Classism

Minor: Vomit

eugenegm's review

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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 The Parable of the sower has become even more prophetic as time has moved on. Our world is more like Butler's world than ever before, and if we don't act now to make the changes we need to, we can all look forward to a world that is nothing but rape, torture, and endless enslavement to the rich. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Xenophobia

maryellen's review

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

ally_rmarshall's review against another edition

2.5

dark reflective 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: N/A

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury

mahela's review

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I’m a huge fan of Octavia Butler’s science fiction, and I already read the novel that this comic is based on. It is interesting to see the comic version, but overall I definitely prefer the novel!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder

librarymouse's review

3.75

dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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There were some parts of this book I really liked and others I really didn't. The 39 year age gap between Lauren and her love interest who she first recognizes through associating him with her father is one of the major dislikes. I like both characters, but the situation is uncomfortable, especially when he is made out as a sympathetic, likable character. I'd had this book and the novel it was adapted from on my to read list for a while, and I'm glad I got around to reading this for school. It's really neat to see the roots of the literary solarpunk movement as it's rooted in afro futurism and the questioning of the continuing hegemony of colonial structures that are still being offered as solutions to the climate crisis today. It is weird to be reading this in 2024, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Dysphoria

wrentfree's review

3.5

challenging dark reflective sad medium-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: No

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I feel like this is what the world is going to look like in a few years. Read only if you want to get depressed as heck.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

lordbags's review

4.0

challenging dark medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture

therewillbenewsuns's review

4.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, War

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use