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sleepyhydra'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: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Rape, Violence, and Torture
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, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Slavery
Moderate: Death of parent, Excrement, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Vomit, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Gore, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Domestic abuse, Grief, Excrement, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, Incest, Cannibalism, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Drug use, Murder, Pregnancy, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
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: Violence, Drug use, Child death, Gun violence, Addiction, Vomit, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Rape, Animal death, and War
Moderate: Torture, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Racism, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: Sexual content and Sexism
brookwilson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Suicide, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
redheadorganist'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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, and Slavery
Moderate: Excrement, Vomit, Torture, Racism, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Pregnancy
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.courtsbooks'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: Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Racism, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Drug use
avalazarov'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? No
5.0
Minor: Rape, Grief, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Gun violence
adamjeffson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Animal death, Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Child death, Slavery, Sexism, Rape, Cannibalism, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Trafficking, Police brutality, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Excrement
Minor: Addiction and Death of parent
jaymem'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: Murder, Body horror, Child death, Violence, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Trafficking, Slavery, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Cannibalism, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Sexual violence, Murder, and Police brutality