Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

237 reviews

bessadams's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Gun violence, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Sexual content, Rape, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Trafficking, Addiction, Police brutality, Incest, Animal death, and Racism

skimkaye's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

It was fine. I liked the overall plot and themes. Pacing was a bit all over the place, but I dont generally mind that. I really liked the commentary on religion with people saying that Earthseed was made up or not anything, and Earthseed itself criticizing other religions while becoming one. The characters were the biggest disappointment to me, they are all very flat and need fleshing out. Lauren is hyper hyperempathetic but even her own internal monologue is emotionless. Bankole is a creepy old man and everyone else is just fine with it. Characters like Travis and Jill are introduced and then barely mentioned. 

I think that I just wanted more from this book. I will probably read the sequel though.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cannibalism, Slavery, Racism, Rape, Violence, Gun violence, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Death of parent

boombaeyah's review

adventurous dark hopeful reflective 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

4.5

in a world full of greed, violence, and scarcity there is still hope for humanity in the form of one divine truth: change. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Rape, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexual violence and Racism

heemeeraa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Child death, Classism, Gaslighting, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Trafficking, War, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Slavery, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, and Sexism

ikiteahill's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was hard to read. It's billed as scifi/fantasy but it's really more focused on a dystoipian society. Taking place in the USA starting in the year 2024, it's an alternate universe but parts of it hit really close to home with how eerily similar they are to society today. Some of the content was hard to stomach. But it brings up such interesting philosophical concepts. Like, what is God? What is religion? What does that do for people? What is human nature? How do we respond as a species under threat? You have to be in the right mindset to read this one but it's worth reading. I think this one will stick with me for a while, even if I'm not sure I'm ready to read the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Hate crime, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Animal death, Classism, Death, Excrement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Medical content, Torture, Cannibalism, Child death, Murder, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Abortion, and Incest

analia's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.25

Eerie and powerful. Listening to this audiobook in 2024 knowing she wrote this two decades ago, realizing how little has changed is…heavy. The book is slow but worthwhile. It hit close to home because of the setting for me, and made me reflect on the decisions many are forced to make during dire circumstances. I loved the protagonist and her belief system. Although it was heavy it does have optimism, driven by the main character’s outlook. My first Octavia book but definitely not my last. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism and Racism

nathanielrj's review

adventurous dark 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

4.25

Such strong characters and realistic view of the future in capitalist America. Butler knows what's up and it's on full display here.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Police brutality, Child death, Death, Body horror, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual assault

Minor: Drug abuse

badbadwolf's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Rape, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Racism, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Child death, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Gore, Drug abuse, and Animal death

gabriella_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

This was a great introduction into Octavia Butler for me. The writing style was gripping and the characters were fantastic. The plot was heavy but in a realistic way (especially for a dystopian, it made sense and is even more eerie to read in 2024). I wasn’t a big fan of the “starting a religion” stuff, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Vomit, Ableism, Animal death, Classism, Drug use, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Body horror, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Child death, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, War, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

yesthattom's review

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring tense fast-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, Murder, Medical trauma, Torture, Slavery, Sexual assault, Racism, and Mass/school shootings