CJ's Reviews > Parable of the Sower

One of the easiest five stars I’ve ever given. Incredible. Octavia E. Butler was a genius.

Her foresight, her prose, her character work, and her world-building are all at their absolute peak in this novel.

Reading this felt like looking into a future that is terrifyingly plausible. Butler wrote this in the early ’90s, yet so much of it resonates with the present in unsettling ways. Constructing an entire world that feels raw and uncomfortably human in a socially aware way.

Lauren is a compelling protagonist. Her voice is sharp, thoughtful, and unflinchingly honest. Watching her navigate a brutal landscape while simultaneously forming and defining her own belief system was mesmerizing. Butler doesn’t just explore survival—she examines resilience, faith, and the power of ideas in the face of utter destruction.

I finished this book minutes ago, and I already know it has changed me. I’m obsessed. I’m in awe. I’m completely overwhelmed in the best way. This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read.