Reviews tagging 'Racism'

La Parabole du semeur by Octavia E. Butler

294 reviews

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

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

jessife's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.0

A slightly terrifying look at what climate change could do to our society - dystopian catastrophe but still gripping and hopeful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

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

eelitorr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I wish everyone would read this. Very hard to make it through the content at times, but Octavia Butler is one of the best writers of this generation. A visionary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

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

theemeraldgirl23's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

A fantastic speculative fiction novel about our current times and what would happen if California became a dystopian wasteland. Lauren Olamina is a tremendous and refreshing protagonist from her view on God and community. It was unlike any book I've ever read before. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Cannibalism, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Excrement

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