Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

26 reviews

zydecovivo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I’m sure I have heard of this book before this year, but I wasn’t convinced until I read Star Child, a biography of Octavia E. Butler. After finishing, I wish I had read this in high school. It’s dark and dismal. But Lauren’s journey feels more real than any other dystopian novel I’ve read. The future Butler portrays also feels more real than any other I’ve seen. It is almost prophetic, especially since I am writing this in the year 2024, mere months before the novel starts. The world is ravaged by climate change, corrupt governments, addiction and illness, and a society in the process of crumbling. Lauren is a young adult who has known nothing else except the stories the older adults have told her about a bygone golden age. And she needs to survive. Could there be anything more relatable to anyone born in the last 30 years? I immediately borrowed the second book and am excited to see what’s next. I can also see why this could be seen as a religious text. I feel like this novel as a whole is one where you could re-read multiple times and still find new meanings and subtext every time. This is one I want to buy for my bookshelf and is added to my favorites list. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Police brutality, and War

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Slavery

lindseygcarden's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Drug use, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Eating disorder, Gore, Grief, Murder, Blood, Sexual violence, Car accident, Death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Infertility, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Incest, and Pregnancy

szjsabrina's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Rape, Murder, Child death, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Racism, Hate crime, Ableism, Grief, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Sexism, and Blood

Minor: Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Police brutality

Father is deemed dead by disappearance.

Minor religious trauma

mmestitches's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

Powerful boo, but stressful to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Classism, Ableism, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Hate crime, Incest, Body horror, Child death, Grief, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Hate crime, Pedophilia, Murder, Grief, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, War, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexism, Rape, Gore, Police brutality, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Dysphoria

girish0731's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? No

4.75

One of the most hard hitting books of the year which falls under Dystopian genre of books but it doesn't seem far off from current situation of life. The story telling and characters are brilliantly written. There is a sense of genuine dread in situations which keeps the story an intense page turner. The crux of this books does fall under the deep philosophical and discussions about religion and how it helps in such a broken down society.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Child abuse, Racism, Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, and Cannibalism

clovelatte's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful informative 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

it’s been weeks and I’m still thinking about this book. Reading this in 2023, the year before the events of the book, is more than a little spooky. We’re not quite there but gosh does it feel possible. I think there’s so much here about the human spirit in crisis and ways our systems of oppression enact violence on all of us. I’ve already requested the second book and I’m gutted that Octavia never got to finish the third. Definitely would recommend if dystopian fiction is your thing and as someone with religious traumas I found it particularly interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child death, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Violence, Death, Pedophilia, Blood, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Abandonment, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery

runatal99's review

dark reflective sad fast-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: Gore, Rape, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Classism, Hate crime, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Misogyny

raelinrou's review

challenging dark hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexism, War, Pregnancy, Racism, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, and Violence

rachelmerrie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

The first half was very interesting, the second half lost my attention. I think the second half maybe was just as interesting, just dragged on? The concept is so captivating and challenging. Worth the read, tons of TWs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, War, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Child death, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Trafficking, Gore, Animal death, Addiction, Pedophilia, Murder, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation

nojerama's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Terrifyingly plausible, absolutely gripping, should be required reading everywhere. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Vomit, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Hate crime, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, and War

Moderate: Death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Stalking, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Incest, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Hate crime, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, War, Suicide, and Trafficking