Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

150 reviews

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

akamuva's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

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

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Fatphobia, Excrement, and Vomit

Adult/minor relationship warning is also for a relationship between a grown adult and an 18-year-old.

julieallison's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Classism

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

happylilfaerie's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

2.5

The more I think about this book the less I like it. Americans have “become” evil and are raping, torturing and cannibalising each other. Where does evil come from? Why are women and girls being raped every page but not a single man is raped? Drug users are usually seeking an escape and to be able to cope with life, in this book they are evil people who want to set others on fire, why? 

None of the interesting aspects bought up were explored - hyperempathy, company towns, how to live off the land, and building community in disaster.

The masses walking on foot from one part of the country to another to seek safety and resources echoes very familiarly to me as an Iraqi. Just look at Falisteen right now. We help each other, protect each other, share our food etc.  I suppose a population as savage and uncivilised as the west couldn’t be expected to know how to behave when resources become scarce. 

Why was the unethical relationship between a teenager and a 57 year old, a whole 40 years older, normalised and made to seem okay? That man is a predator, I don’t give a shit how “mature” the child seems. 

The side characters kind of blurred together, instead of personality and development, they were given sob backstories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, and Cannibalism

audwild's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• 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, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

ib_ratton's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

Leave it to Octavia Butler to predict the fall of civilization in 2024...

I love literary apocalypse books like these! The character focus, the slow changes of society to ruin, and the need for man to band together to create something better are themes heavy in this book. And although they're not any original ideas, the writing is truly unique and makes the story extremely compelling. 

Trigger warnings for just about everything as the book touches on some gruesome topics. But if you like Books like The Road by Cormac McCarthy, you'll enjoy this one even more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, and Cannibalism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

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

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