Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

La Parabole du semeur by Octavia E. Butler

282 reviews

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

cynopsis's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Body horror, Murder, Drug abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Child death, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Slavery, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Violence

katrinarose's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful 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

4.0

While a little slow to start, this book absolutely gripped me. It’s definitely the best bleak post-apocalyptic survival book I’ve read (although in this story there’s no distinct apocalyptic event, it’s just the degradation of society). It reminds me a bit of The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, and I think it’s impossible Parable of the Sower didn’t inspire it, but this came first and was done better. 

I really liked Lauren as a character and the development of her religion. She is a very stoic character for all the trauma she experiences but yet I don’t find it that unbelievable - between her religious beliefs and the fact that the whole story is her journal she wrote (she could be writing in a more serious tone than if we got a first person POV narration) - I think it makes sense. I admire her a lot. The other characters aren’t quite as well-developed as her but I liked how every character had something unique to add. 

I do wish there was more explanation for how the world devolved to this point (yet they still had to pay property taxes while arson and murder were everyday occurrences?) but it didn’t take away much from the story. Overall this was depressing and full of triggering topics but very hopeful at the same time, and I would recommend it for anyone interested in a semi-realistic dystopian.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Child death, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexual content, Cannibalism, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

so haunting and hopeful at the same time. octavia butler is a master of her craft. her poetic language and incredible world building kept me hooked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Trafficking, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Racism, Rape, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

romanticmelody's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Classism, Police brutality, Gun violence, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Slavery, Cannibalism, Sexual content, and Rape

djeanine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Animal death, Body horror, Abandonment, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, Violence, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture

ksuazo94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Cannibalism, Addiction, Gore, Grief, Rape, Blood, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Child death, Police brutality, Slavery, and Murder

arayo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Grief, Cannibalism, Child death, Animal death, and Blood

cheyison's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Slavery, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Kidnapping, and Blood

danajoy's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Grief, and Animal death

Moderate: Death of parent, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Gore, Rape, and Cannibalism