Reviews tagging 'Torture'

La Parabole du semeur by Octavia E. Butler

167 reviews

clemencepct's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, Torture, and Death of parent

karingforbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

Definitely a memorable book. I enjoyed the lens of a budding religious founder; had a The Power vibe a bit. I wasn’t super attached to any of the characters but I think maybe part of that was the MC’s hyperempathy and that she shuts herself off because of that. Therefore we don’t really get to connect with most of them. I thought the dystopian aspect of society was eerily close to home but that’s the sign of a good dystopian, like 1984 or Earth, that they could extrapolate from their current circumstances and predict what would realistically happen however long into the future. Thought provoking book with good writing. 
Side note on that: the editor didn’t do a great job. There were two instances of ‘tried’ being typed ‘tired’ and one of ‘slave’ being typed ‘salve’ which are clearly vastly different words. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Cannibalism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

cinderrunner's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring 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? No

5.0

Amazing, thought provoking yet simplistic writing. Its a shame how relevant this book still is 30 years later. A truly brilliant work

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

laratboulos's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

More than 1984, Brave New World, or other sci-fi widely considered prescient for the times we live in, Parable of the Sower is the most scarily accurate depiction of the 2020s I’ve ever read. And it manages to be hopeful and inspiring and visionary despite painting a terrifying picture of a global warming world on fire and how humans respond. A must read for everyone, truly. Octavia is brilliance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Torture, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

booksviavilla's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

otherworlds's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A compelling vision of hope & love in the face of a bleak future. I can see why this book is such a classic. I can also see why people say it's relevant to the times we're living in. Butler's prediction of the 2020s is different in some ways but in other ways all too similar.

This story feels revolutionary in a lot of ways. Butler takes a hard, honest look at late-stage capitalism, racism, the police state, American fascism, and tells us there's a better way. Hope and solidarity for these characters is deeply practical, an absolutely necessity for survival. It's a more grounded approach than in most dystopian fiction IMO, and I find it refreshing and inspiring.

Also, Lauren Olamina is a bold and fascinating protagonist, both in terms of her personality and her religion. Earthseed itself is one of the most unique, thematic religions I've ever seen in speculative fiction. I just loved it all💗

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Hate crime, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury

jlaz_13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

wreathedinviolets's review against another edition

dark hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Torture, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

aaronsuggs's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, and Torture

will_meringue's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Torture, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Addiction and Rape