A review by just_ari
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

It felt so right to read this book at the end of 2024. This book was written in 1993 but takes place from 2024-2026 in the United States where things have been going seriously downhill since the 2000s. Climate change has cause horrible natural disasters, disease has spread, and extreme poverty is all around. It is astounding how much Octavia Butler was able to predict about the future. Yes, her idea of the modern world was more extreme than the actual world we live in but themes throughout the book resonated closely to me and it's scary to think about how close we currently are to living in Butler's version of the world. The main character of this book reminded me of the importance of emergency preparation and as well as the importance of having and relying on your community. This was probably the most important book I read this year. While parts of it scared me about our future, it also gave me a vision to prepare myself. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Parable of the Talents. Octavia Butler is an inspirational author and I highly recommend this book to everyone. Prepare yourself when reading it because it gets really dark but know that once you have finished you will see the world in a different light.
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