Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
I think this book is fantastic. I really enjoyed it. I think it is wonderfully written. It's a very interesting story. The character development is excellent. The subject matter is thoughtful and critical.
I'm reluctantly not including this book in my favorites. A big part of me thinks it belongs there. It definitely stands out when compared to books like Holly by Stephen King (which I liked) or The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw (which I didn't like or finish).
And I HIGHLY recommend reading this book.
But it doesn't make my favorites, because it doesn't make me feel good. The setting is so convincing, so profound, when I get done with a reading session (it was three sittings, maybe four) I feel like I'm in that depressing, awful, terrible world.
This book makes grateful for what we do have. Yes, I'm hella critical of much of what's going on in our modern world. There are so many problems. But for me, I'm safe and fed and sheltered. I don't have to worry about the kinds of things that are happening in Parable of the Sower. (It's a different story for Palestinians or many people in the middle east that my country bombs)
So yeah. You should read this book. It's fantastic. Objectively one of the best books I've read. It pulled me in, was absolutely enthralling, I didn't want to put it down.
But I felt unhappy and dark when I finished a reading session. So, I guess it doesn't quite make my favorites.
I do plan to read the second book, Parable of the Talents, iirc. But first, I'm going to read book 2 of series started by The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin.