Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

La Parabole du semeur by Octavia E. Butler

281 reviews

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: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Body horror, Child death, Death, Murder, Blood, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Child abuse

Minor: Rape, Racism, and Police brutality

bmt1005's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual violence, Violence, Gun violence, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

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

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: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Child abuse, Classism, Gore, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Gun violence, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Violence, Child death, Medical content, Trafficking, Self harm, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Police brutality, Cannibalism, Body horror, Animal death, Vomit, and War

Minor: Self harm, Car accident, Child abuse, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

theonlysentree's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Slavery, Classism, Murder, Racism, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Blood, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, and Sexual assault

retiredepisodian2robloxian's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

I really enjoyed Parable of the Sower, it’s message overall is compelling to read within the year it takes place in. I want to read the second book as I am interested to see where it will go. I highly recommend this novel and found myself always entertained and fully immersed when reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Torture, Sexual violence, Child death, Trafficking, Slavery, Rape, Violence, Animal death, Death, and Sexual content

woweewhoa's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gun violence

Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, Child death, and Slavery

Minor: Incest and Police brutality

mac23's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Abandonment, Animal death, Addiction, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Child death, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Slavery, Cancer, Death, and Classism

brittburkard's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Murder, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Slavery, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Grief, and Cannibalism

taysmoonie's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was almost a survival guide with proof that everything changes, yet stays the same.  It wasn't a plot-driven book but it kept you wanting to know if the characters are simply okay.  I find it fascinating that as a reader I found myself criticizing my beliefs and questioning my morals.  What would I do to survive? And do I truly believe in anything other than change?  I think my biggest takeaway from this is that we all can always trust that change will come.  ALSO even though its a dystopian novel, it felt WAY too close to home.  Way too possible and that's why I feel as though Octavia Butler wasn't writing to us but was creating a guide to living through change. (Ending was disappointing, real but disappointing)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Cannibalism, Slavery, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Animal death

Minor: Pedophilia