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jabakken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
alex123's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury
ameliabee33's review against another edition
5.0
All that you touch/ You Change. All that you Change/ Changes you. The only lasting truth/ Is Change./ God is Change.
I have only read two books by Octavia Butler and both have been 5 star reads for me. Butler's writing sets the readernin the scene as if they are there themselves, it is no question as to why she is considered one of the best authors in the sci-fi/dystopian genre.
Like "Kindred", this book will probably haunt me for a long time. The world has gone to shit, to put it mildly. People have not learned from our mistakes and everyone is paying for it- except the rich, they're just fine. In the 2020s, climate change and economic crises has led to water shortages, groups of vagabonds that do anything to survive, rabid packs of dogs, and people to live in walled communities, "protected" from the outside world if they are lucky. Lauren has grown up in one of these places, raised by her preacher father and suffers from hyperempathy. Lauren sees what is coming- destruction to all they have known- and the adults of her community fail to see it. However Lauren has prepared herself, through actions and through the belief of a new God, a new religion. Earthseed.
What I believe haunts me the most about this book, is that I see it happening currently. While this was written before the 2020s, the way people behave and the decisions of people in positions of power make sense. They reflect the reality of what I see every day. It is terrifying. That we are so predictable. That we continue to not learn out of fear of the unknown without the ways we have always known. The old ways linger in our minds, the wanting of returning to the past is always there. The hope of returning is always there. That we, humans, will always find a way to adapt. Adapting is the only way to survive, basic "survival-of-the-fittest" Darwinian theory. Women will always be the first exploited. Will always have the most to fear.
Altruism is the rise and downfall of humans.
I have so many thoughts about organized religion, and how people will cling to faith when times are tough/scary. It is interesting how easy it is for the character Lauren to create a new religion and find purpose and followers so easily. How easily do people give in when they have a higher purpose for a God? Is it a cult or a religion? Is there a difference? Lauren's end goal is to end up in the stars, so it is much different from any religion I have been exposed to.
I have so many thoughts about this book, and I am looking forward to reading this book again when I'm older. Like the foreword from N.K. Jemisin, I believe that I will have different takeaways each time I read it. Butler does an excellent job writing a novel that accurately reflects human nature and what would happen to the U.S. if certain events came to pass. Honestly this is one of the best dystopian novels I've ever read, because I was right there in Cali with Lauren as her family was taken from her and her life as she knew it was taken away.
I can't reccomend this book enough.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
ksrkat's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
nojerama's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
gagereadsstuff's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Classism
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Lauren, the main character and narrator, is an odd person. She never quite feels that she fits in her home neighborhood because she naively believes she is the only one who sees that trouble is coming. However, these beliefs are what lead her to create Earthseed—a religion whose main belief is that “God is change.” I found this to be an interesting concept as Lauren grows up and leaves her neighborhood.
The journal entries were an enjoyable way to read the story, but it makes me wonder how reliable a narrator Lauren really is.
I would have loved to see more of Lauren’s “sharing” abilities. They seemed to only come into play when it was convenient, but it was an interesting concept to bring up that is more prevalent in the latter half of the novel. I’m curious to see what the author does with that aspect of Lauren’s character in the next novel.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Blood, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content
There are a lot of content warnings for this novel. Make sure to check them out before you read since there are a lot of triggering moments.dean_'s review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cuddlygryphon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
clarissa22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexism and Sexual content