Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

199 reviews

gabriella_'s review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

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

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

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Pregnancy

ams5x9's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Body horror, Incest, Racism, Sexual content, Police brutality, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

nogoodtulip's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

5.0

Set in a very plausible and not-too-distant future collapsed american society, Parable of the Sower is enthralling in its character’s struggle for survival against a world consumed by destitution, violence, and corporate oppression. The blossoming of our main character Lauren’s new religion of Earthseed and the vision of a new and transformed world that it brings drives the story forward and teaches us that we cannot build something new without first risking everything.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

pola_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

This book is one of those books that will stay with me for a while. It’s a difficult one to read because of its frighteningly relevance of themes that we sadly see today. It’s a brilliant read. It’s my first read of Octavia Butler’s, but it definitely won’t be my last.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Police brutality

whoa_is_me's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

lindseygcarden's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

bubblybelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

wow. this is such a harrowing story that bears terrifying resemblance to modern day America. Octavia Butler’s words and infinitely quotable and leave me feeling simultaneously heartbroken and hopeful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bootsmom3's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Police brutality, Cannibalism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

maxicosi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Abortion, and Outing