Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

143 reviews

bmt1005's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual violence, Violence, Gun violence, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

mutua1core's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Gore, Police brutality, Pregnancy, War, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual content, Addiction, Gun violence, Classism, Sexual assault, and Violence

keyradiator's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative tense 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? No

5.0

This book is really a marvel. Octavia Butler's writing is accessible, evocative, crisp, and visceral; reading her and Ursula K. Le Guin made me realize I took entirely too long reading several mediocre science fiction books from more mainstream authors.

There is a thing or two in this book that are structurally suboptimal, but overall, the pacing is biting and cohesive, the characters have deeeeep stories and flaws, and the world building is some of the best I've ever read.

This book is dark. You can't quite prepare yourself for just how dark it gets, yet, somehow Butler manages to make a beam of hope cut through all of the noise that carries you through. Please read this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Child abuse, Classism, Gore, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Gun violence, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Violence, Child death, Medical content, Trafficking, Self harm, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Police brutality, Cannibalism, Body horror, Animal death, Vomit, and War

Minor: Self harm, Car accident, Child abuse, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Suicide, War, Sexual violence, and Incest

Minor: Fatphobia, Excrement, and Vomit

Adult/minor relationship warning is also for a relationship between a grown adult and an 18-year-old.

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

Wowwwwwww. Dark, fascinating, exciting, deep, complex… a perfect dystopia. With an end filled with a strange hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, War, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Vomit, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

mac23's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Abandonment, Animal death, Addiction, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Child death, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Slavery, Cancer, Death, and Classism

audwild's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Slavery, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Gore, Death, Racism, Addiction, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, and Kidnapping

freya163's review against another edition

dark reflective 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse

cadence99's review

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? No

4.25

This would be a five star read for me if not for the relationship with Bankole. The power dynamic felt INCREDIBLY gross, not just because of the age difference (he is apparently old enough to be her grandfather) but because of his ownership of (potentially) safe land and his skill as a doctor. In addition, I really didn’t appreciate the weird dismissive way he treated her views surrounding earthseed. 

HOWEVER, moving on from that whole mess- this was a fantastic book overall. The world felt so rich and uncomfortably real, tackling huge questions on human nature and morality. I think my favorite part of the book was the lens of mercy and understanding that our MC gave even to the people who displayed the most reprehensible, violent behavior. Despite being victim to the same dystopia as every one of our characters, Lauren brings with her a unique understanding of human nature, and a compassion towards even those who have the potential to do her harm. I think her wisdom in that realm is what allows her to begin developing Earthseed, and ultimately, allows her to survive. I look forward to reading the second book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Slavery, Rape, Sexual content, Classism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Blood, Murder, Grief, and Domestic abuse

doramag's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Child death, Cannibalism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail