Reviews tagging 'Incest'

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

20 reviews

apollos_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

god damn. i have no other words. such a powerful series. and, unfortunately, as relevant as ever.

this book as all the content warnings though. like literally. read with care and caution

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Incest, Gore, Kidnapping, and Murder

ambarleti's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Child abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Incest, Sexual violence, and War

Minor: Addiction and Xenophobia

ellenwilberg's review against another edition

dark sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Torture, Suicide, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Trafficking, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Incest

jojo_'s review against another edition

dark slow-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Classism, Grief, Ableism, Death of parent, Rape, Addiction, Blood, Drug abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Infidelity, and Pedophilia

Minor: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship

haileybones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Murder, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Vomit

Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, War, and Xenophobia

opheliabedelia's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy

astridrv's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

I almost gave up halfway through because of how horrific and depressing it got - much more so than the first book, which is really saying something. But I loved the complexity of that too, where I am used to saga's going "upwards", Butler made the brave choice of having someone who's arc is to build see everything destroyed and go through worse than ever before. I'm not sold on the second perspective we get in the book, and I would have loved the last chapters to last way longer (there is a slight pacing problem between micro and macro story there) but otherwise this is definitely the most remarkable work of fiction I read this year. I will never forget Earthseed, and the claustrophobic,terrifying, hopeful, strong, heart wrenching, generous, crushing journey it was to share this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, and Homophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Grief, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Misogyny

grey_jayne's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

Octavia Butler is such a great writer and, while brutal (definitely read the trigger warnings on this book), this story is amazing. Gripping and dangerous. Provocatively challenging. Perfection.

I wish she could have completed the series, especially when you get to the end and see where this story was going. The ending still works though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Trafficking, Vomit, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Kidnapping, Incest, Grief, Death, and Adult/minor relationship

fiveredhens's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

favorite quotes:

Interesting that they fear Edward Jay Smith's supposed incompetence more than they fear Jarret's obvious tyranny.

They say we have no business wasting time or money in space when there are so many people suffering here on Earth, here in America. I wonder, though, where the money received in exchange for the installations has gone. I haven't noticed any new government education or jobs programs. There's been no government help for the homeless, the sick, the hungry. Squatter settlements are as big and as nasty as ever. As a country, we've given up our birthright for even less than bread and pottage. We've given it up for nothing—although I'm sure some people somewhere are richer now.

The child in each of us
Knows paradise.
Paradise is home.
Home as it was
Or home as it should have been.

How stupid and pointless that he should die at the hands of men who didn't know him or care about him or even intend to kill him. They just didn't know how to use the powerful weapons they possessed. They gassed Zahra to death by mistake because they didn't take her size into consideration. They shocked Bankole into a heart attack by mistake because they didn't take his age into consideration.

i liked this a little bit better than the first because of the complex relationship between lauren and her daughter

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide, and Torture

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Incest, Islamophobia, Racism, and Vomit

more graphic and upsetting than the first

emhunsber's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thought-provoking and complex, Talents continues the story of Lauren and her Earthseed community, following the struggles and triumphs of establishing both a physical community and a religious movement. Striking a balance between macro- and micro-focused storytelling, Butler's prophetic writing speaks to the struggles of racism, sexism, and economic inequality intertwining with a politician who thrives on polarization inflamed by fear and instability, and examines the downfall and rebuilding of a nation quick to scapegoat for survival. Both introspective and acutely perceptive, Talents invites readers to imagine a future in which a grassroots movement can create lasting and effective change, while depicting characters and storylines that are realistic and loveable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Sexism, Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Gun violence, Genocide, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts