Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

222 reviews

mattyb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, and Abandonment

sabrinazj's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

Father is deemed dead by disappearance.

Minor religious trauma

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

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

Minor: Incest and Pedophilia

junglejelly's review against another edition

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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Murder

hurlyburlywitch's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

This was so profoundly emotional. I picked it up as a frequent reader of junky dystopia, and instead found myself thrown into a meaningful consideration of the human condition and the nature of God. I am getting the urge to discuss this with everyone I know. The slow development of a relationship with the characters offered rich rewards as the horrors of their world, and their own personal depths, became apparent to the reader. I chewed through this in a single sitting, and I can be certain I'm coming back for this time and again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death of parent, and Murder

dwarrowdams's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.5

A fresh and interesting take on the dystopia genre, but with a lot more death and violence and other horrors (and a lot more detail about those things) than I personally care for.

I did like Butler’s writing style, and definitely plan to pick up some of her other books that are more in my wheelhouse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Death of parent

Minor: Racism, Rape, and Police brutality

miorinsa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.25

The first half of this book reads like a prologue in that our narrator is preparing for a journey and we learn everything she does in that time. The first half is definitely a necessary part of the book to understand the journey in the second half. There were some odd aspects of the narrative in that some small things were described in great detail and some more important plot points were glossed over. Overall, the concept of the book is gripping and the main character, Lauren, is a strong, adaptable, and determined heroine with unparalleled compassion in a world that lacks it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, and Murder

Dystopian

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

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

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

retiredepisodian2robloxian's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed Parable of the Sower, it’s message overall is compelling to read within the year it takes place in. I want to read the second book as I am interested to see where it will go. I highly recommend this novel and found myself always entertained and fully immersed when reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder