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rachelmerrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, War, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Child death, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Trafficking, Gore, Animal death, Addiction, Pedophilia, Murder, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation
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: Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Vomit, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Hate crime, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Stalking, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Incest, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Hate crime, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, War, Suicide, and Trafficking
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: Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, War, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Excrement, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Bullying, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Drug use, Genocide, Pregnancy, Addiction, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Vomit, Violence, War, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Car accident, Murder, and Stalking
lulu_canread'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
The book follows Lauren's childhood and her growing understanding of the world she lives in while the adults around her grapple with what used to be. Her father, the baptist preacher/spiritual leader of her neighbourhood instills in her a religion, but Lauren struggles to reconcile it with the harsh world around her. Her first act of defiance and of independence is to stray, first just in thought, from her father's view of god to her own - god is change, unavoidable and irresistable - thus begins her religion of Earthseed. This spiritual journey follows Lauren as she grows and her world changes.
At times this story reads like a parable or biblical text, other times the accuracy of Octavia Butler writing reads like a dire warning. This book is harsh and brutal, it doesn't shy away from the horror a dysfunctional world like this one would be. Yet Parable of the Sower is ultimately a book about survival, of endurance, and of hope. I am not a sci-fi or even much of a dystopian reader but I was totally captured by this amazing novel and unable to put it down.
Two warnings before you dive in:
Firstly, take the content warnings seriously for this book. I don't want to turn people away or off this masterpiece but massive content warnings, like all the content warnings. As I stated - this book is harsh and cruel at times.
Second, Octavia Butler was unable to finish the Earthseed series before she died. While there is a second novel published, Parable of the Sower concludes (without spoiling it for you) in way that you can stop reading and be satisfied with pausing the narrative there. I haven't read the second book and cannot vouch on whether or not you would find a similarly good pause for the series at that point.
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Rape, Child death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Cannibalism, Suicide, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Trafficking
Please, please, please take the content warnings seriously for this book. It is a fantastic read, but it is rough going as Octavia Butler does not hold back in the trauma department of her dystopian world. Make sure you read all content warnings on multiple reviews as I am sure I have forgotten some.mischorda'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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Incest, Rape, Slavery, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage
jlaz_13'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Vomit, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide, and Kidnapping
izchandler'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? It's complicated
Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Slavery, Blood, Death, Torture, Physical abuse, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child death, Classism, Incest, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Child abuse
martinza's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Gore, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Police brutality
ellenwilberg's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape
Minor: Alcoholism, Vomit, and Alcohol
ardour's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racism, Physical abuse, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Death, Cursing, Classism, Child death, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, and Addiction
Moderate: Rape, Trafficking, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit, Incest, and Alcoholism