Parable of the Sower - Octavia Butler Book Review

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"Parable of the Sower"
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Review Summaries
"Lauren, a young hyperempathic woman, is driven from her home when the walled community in which she has grown is overrun by a disenfranchised strung-out mob who go on a spree of murder and mayhem. Separated from her family in the fray, Lauren and two other survivors from the carnage at their settlement set out on a cross-country trek north with the will to survive. " Gracie McKeever, Resident Octavia E. Butler Scholar
"Parable of the Sower takes place in the fairly near future (2024-2027 CE) after quite a bit of social disintegration and chaos. Walled neighbourhoods, gangs of drug-abusing arsonists, crime, and inhumanity are throughout the book. The main character, Lauren, is a young woman growing up during this time in Southern California. Her father is a minister and they live in a walled neighbourhood, trying to keep the insane world outside from getting in. Lauren has special powers that let her feel others pains. She also starts a new religion." Veronica, Resident Octavia E. Butler Scholar
"In the near future, Lauren Olamina begins to develop her philosophy/religion of Change, as a way to redeem humanity and its future." Christine G., Resident Octavia E. Butler Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%

Tone of book - depressing/sad
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - search for identity/new understanding - coping with mental/magical powers
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Religious overtones? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a teen
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century) - distant future
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
Sex in book? Yes

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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