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

dark reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

Dark. Please check trigger warnings, because the amount of on page violence was extremely uncomfortable - albeit reasonable within the scope of the story being told. I don’t think I realised how dark this could be, despite having read Kindred, which was equally dark. This book was written in 1993, and the parallels between the current state of the world and this story are disturbing. There’s intentional exploration of societal collapse, inequality, economic disparity as well as religion, spirituality, and human connection. I would say my primary take away was the importance of community and the inevitability of change. I think this is a story that needs to be read multiple times throughout the years, because different perspectives and life experiences could really change the lessons being learned. It’s absolutely worth the read. It’s just not a book for someone who’s not in a stable mental state; I would say it really destabilised me, so I’ll be bypassing the sequel for now.