Scan barcode
A review by jpluff2334
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
5.0
When I opened the book and saw that this grim dystopian novel starts out in the year 2024, I knew this story would be unsettling. This book definitely overwhelmed me in the sense that it felt way too real. Octavia E. Butler is an incredible writer and she wrote this is in the early 1990s thinking that this was the path our country was heading. It certainly seems like it could come true. This book is heavy and discusses themes of social inequalities, race, gender, climate change, politics, and religion.
The main character Lauren was multi-dimensional and without her this story wouldn’t have been nearly as good. She has an illness where she is hyper empathetic meaning she can feel others’ pain and it adds an interesting element to the story. The whole book is supposed to be acting as her “bible” of sorts because she has discovered/created a new religion called Earthseed and the main concept is “God is change”. It’s what keeps her going and she plans her whole future around it.
This book definitely gets dark, there’s lots of death and horror surrounding them. The characters don’t know who they can trust but even with betrayal, found family and friendships blossom. The world is truly left in utter chaos and just keeps getting more fractured. Although Lauren has hope while navigating what community means to her, I’m left with a feeling of despair and dread for what might be our future.
The main character Lauren was multi-dimensional and without her this story wouldn’t have been nearly as good. She has an illness where she is hyper empathetic meaning she can feel others’ pain and it adds an interesting element to the story. The whole book is supposed to be acting as her “bible” of sorts because she has discovered/created a new religion called Earthseed and the main concept is “God is change”. It’s what keeps her going and she plans her whole future around it.
This book definitely gets dark, there’s lots of death and horror surrounding them. The characters don’t know who they can trust but even with betrayal, found family and friendships blossom. The world is truly left in utter chaos and just keeps getting more fractured. Although Lauren has hope while navigating what community means to her, I’m left with a feeling of despair and dread for what might be our future.