thefriendlyabyss's reviews
116 reviews

Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Butler offers a collection of tales that expertly meld her ability to pierce the human condition and blend it with the ominous realities of the word and its potential in the near future.

Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures by Walter Moers

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Rumo is a fun, lovable and quite peculiar epic adventure that evokes all the great ideas and themes of Lord of The Rings, Alice in Wonderland, and The Phantom Tollbooth all in one.

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

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adventurous challenging hopeful informative reflective 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

4.0

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-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

4.5

This sequel to Parable of the Sower paints a world simultaneously better off and far more grim than the first book. It’s challenging, harrowing, and in some ways exceedingly hopeful. It’s absolutely worth a read for anyone thinking about the future.

Content Warnings

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-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? No

4.5

This is a shockingly prescient book written back in the 90s that paints a grim future that seems not too disimilar to humanity’s current trajectory at least here in the United States. The book’s main character, Lauren Olamina, is a young woman, forced to grow up in a ravaged version of California. Her travels are a fascinating look into what becomes necessary when survival is on the line and what hope looks like amidst a sea of destructive chaos. I can’t recommend this book enough! Read it!

Content Warnings