Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

85 reviews

badbadwolf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Rape, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Racism, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Child death, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Gore, Drug abuse, and Animal death

gabriella_'s review

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

This was a great introduction into Octavia Butler for me. The writing style was gripping and the characters were fantastic. The plot was heavy but in a realistic way (especially for a dystopian, it made sense and is even more eerie to read in 2024). I wasn’t a big fan of the “starting a religion” stuff, though.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Vomit, Ableism, Animal death, Classism, Drug use, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Body horror, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Child death, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, War, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

maggiegirouard's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Sexual content, Suicide, Sexual assault, Addiction, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Animal death, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Drug abuse, Rape, Murder, Sexual harassment, Violence, Blood, and Gun violence

reads2cope's review against another edition

5.0

 “Do you think our world is coming to an end?” Dad asked, and with no warning at all, I almost started crying. I had all I could do to hold it back. What I thought was, “No, I think your world is coming to an end, and maybe you with it.” That was terrible. I hadn’t thought about it in such a personal way before. I turned and looked out a window until I felt calmer. When I faced him again, I said. “Yes. Don’t you?”

I can't believe it took me this long to read Parable of the Sower, but any time since it's publication has been the perfect time to read. On Instagram, @bookishcrimson pointed out how Zarah recommended sucking on a plum or apricot pits to stave off thirst while Palestinian mothers are giving their babies dates to suck on because of the lack of milk and all other foods in the genocide on Gaza. 
Every time the political race came up in the book, it felt so much like the USA race today. Describing one of the candidates as "a symbol of the past for us to hold on to as we’re pushed into the future. He’s nothing. No substance. But having him there, the latest in a two-and-a-half-century-long line of American Presidents make people feel that the country, the culture that they grew up with is still here — that we’ll get through these bad times and back to normal.” That exactly explains the current candidates to me.
The disease and environmental collapse is so obviously on-point that it hardly feels worth mentioning. COVID-19 has been on constant high waves, disabling and killing people in horrifying numbers? Ignore it. Every season is warmer than ever and every marker for irreversible damage is being met? "'These things frighten people. It’s best not to talk about them.” “ But, Dad, that’s like… like ignoring a fire in the living room because we’re all in the kitchen, and, besides, house fires are too scary to talk about.'"

The only thing I didn't like about this book was Earthseed. While I understand Laura wanting to have a clear mantra to help her through societal collapse, the "belief" in Earthseed seemed less religious to everyone around her and more a unifying idea. By which I mean, her friends and fellow travelers were happy to hear about it and agreed with some basic points, but no one gave up worshiping a different God or fully believed in the space travel promise of Earthseed. I was annoyed that Lauren wanted to make a religious cult rather than a commune, but as her main focus was survival, it didn't take up too much of the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Child death, Rape, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Cannibalism, and Drug abuse

gustgustgust's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

This book shocked me. It was written in the '90s and yet it felt prophetic. If it was written in this year, people would say it was too on-the-nose. 

The story is beautiful. the main character, Lauren Olamina, is such a beautiful, complicated character. The relationships are complicated and dense and tentative. The real shining moment is just the world Bulter weaved. It felt not only like it happened, but that I was watching it happen in front of me. It's not for me to adapt, but it is definitely something that would make an incredible series if given full opportunity to be as dark, grim, and haunting as it needs to be. 

The only thing that knocked it down for me was there was a lot of violence, and I understand that the world needed it so it's just a personal taste thing. I don't think anything was don't to scandalize or be outrageous, it was true to the world, I just got pulled out going "oh no, this is too much, too real" 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Child death, Death of parent, Torture, Classism, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Murder, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

daysanchez's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child death, Drug use, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Animal death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, and Sexual content

mads_reads_books's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Colonisation, Child death, Animal death, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Body horror, Classism, Cannibalism, Slavery, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Death, and Ableism

mald626's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Murder, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Religious bigotry

tayngerous's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Grief, Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death

Moderate: Sexism, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Racism, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Child death, Cannibalism, Death, Classism, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Incest and Pedophilia

happylilfaerie's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

2.5

The more I think about this book the less I like it. Americans have “become” evil and are raping, torturing and cannibalising each other. Where does evil come from? Why are women and girls being raped every page but not a single man is raped? Drug users are usually seeking an escape and to be able to cope with life, in this book they are evil people who want to set others on fire, why? 

None of the interesting aspects bought up were explored - hyperempathy, company towns, how to live off the land, and building community in disaster.

The masses walking on foot from one part of the country to another to seek safety and resources echoes very familiarly to me as an Iraqi. Just look at Falisteen right now. We help each other, protect each other, share our food etc.  I suppose a population as savage and uncivilised as the west couldn’t be expected to know how to behave when resources become scarce. 

Why was the unethical relationship between a teenager and a 57 year old, a whole 40 years older, normalised and made to seem okay? That man is a predator, I don’t give a shit how “mature” the child seems. 

The side characters kind of blurred together, instead of personality and development, they were given sob backstories. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual violence, Rape, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Torture, Slavery, Violence, and Sexual assault