Parable of the Talents Audiobook (Unabridged)

" Highly acclaimed and award-winning, but didn't do much for me. Characters weren't developed nearly enough. "

" As with all Parable of the Sower, and even Fledgling, I had a difficult time putting this book down. The storytelling structure is extremely clever and effective in revealing three voices, three characters - Olamina, Marc and Larkin/Asha - side by side. Each one, is achingly damaged, flawed and yet good and empathetic. The scary thing about the book is it's almost prescient foreboding of our world with right-wing leaders and cultish opposition. And as with all of Octavia Butler's works, it's refreshing to read about such fascinating characters of color. Now to figure out which of her books to read next. "

" Cripes, this was bleak, and even more so than Parable of the Sower, the dystopian future portrayed struck felt very possible and very disturbing. It's a testament to the strength of Lauren's character (as created by Butler) that this was, despite its difficulty, very hard to put down. "

" Sequel to Parable of the Sower. Very good pair to read sequentially. "

" Holy cow this is rough... she gives you some hope and then slaps you down hard. I'm setting this down until I have the strength to go on. "

" A great read from a very talented author. I have no idea how it came about that I started reading Octavia Butler. No one suggested her to me and I hadn't heard of her before. So it was Fate I suppose because never in my life had I thought I'd have my mind blown in such a way. She is unlike any other author in any genre I have ever read. I almost don't want to stop reading once I pick up her books, but they are long, lol! Fantastic writer. "

" Butler gives us two narrators in this sequel: Olamina and her grown daughter. Olamina appears through her journal entries. This is a longer book than its predecessor, and while Sower was a chilling trip through a nightmarish future with a growing group of interesting companions on the road to safety, this book is static and the companions begin to wear on the reader. The strength and tenacity demonstrated by most all in book one is lost in this one. More whining, doubt and incredibly, a surprise blast from the past character serves to discombobulate the main storyline in a way that's just not believable. Still a page turner, but not every page was read from top to bottom. "

" This was good but more political than it's predecessor, which is not to my liking. "

" This is a cool post-apocolyptic book that I had to read for a class once. It makes you think but it is also fun to read. "

" Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents are hands down two of my favorite books. They are the only books I can bear to re-read and something new jumps out at me everytime whether it's the comments about religion, education, war or where our country is headed. "

" Second book in the series and just as wonderful as the first. "

" I heart Octavia Butler - what an engrossing, beautiful, thoughtful, powerful and interesting book! I am NOT a sci fi reader but Octavia might make a liar out of me - I loved this book. "

" I love this book and have read and reread it, in fact i think i want to reread it again but I'm going to get it in this new printing first... "

" the continuation of "parable of the sower". i found that its impact was less dramatic, but it still delivered a dark, compelling picture of a not-implausible near future. "

" what happens when a woman and sci fi collide; perfect harmony "

" This was an incredibly difficult book to read in the lead up to the 2012 US presidential election. Incredibly difficult. It was hard and powerful and ugly and hopeful and refused to take an easy way out of anything. I really don't have the words to do it justice. "

" Incredibly dark, violent and wonderful. Very good social and political commentary. Good storytelling. "

" maybe 3.5....this is unlike anything i've ever read and i appreciate butler's refusal to conform. gives me a lot to think about...a lot of layers. "

" A much weaker sequel to Sower. The weaker plot structure surprised me, considering that initially the author had planned these two books to be one and she did a much better with the structure of Sower. "

" Where is the support group for depressed and anxious people who want to read Octavia Butler without having a panic attack? This book is ALL THE THINGS. "

" Too dark for my taste "

" Octavia Butler has made me a fan on science fiction! I absolutely loved this book! You know it's a good book when you are still thinking about the characters and events well after you have finished the book. "

" I finally read them, and they were as good as everyone told me they would be. "

" I love this author, and particularly this book. I couldn't put it down. "

" This review will be completely unenlightening, but this book kept reminding me of a cross between Dune and a zombie novel, except for the part where there are no zombies and it takes place on Earth. "

" The themes in this book are simply put, but Butler manages to pull off a kind of elegance with her pacing. Not a bad read ( for post apocalyptic science fiction ). "

" impressive and frightening and REAL! too many parallels with life NOW. i need to make my emergency supply kits... "

" Butler writes characters that are relatable, which is at times difficult to deal with as a reader, in this harsh novel. Difficult to read because of how close to reality this book feels, I think this work by Octavia Butler is an important read. "

" This plot has been used several times before. Still a good read if you like end of the world scenarios. "

" Excellente! Read this a while back. Loved it. Maybe I'll do a proper review later. "