Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

30 reviews

mxdegroot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

As it has been almost two years since I've read this book and only am reviewing it now, while doing the same with other books I have read but not yet revieuwed, I can't say I remember much, but this is what I do remember.

I read this book for school and at school, which means we went pretty deep into it. This caused quite some interesting findings. For example, the names of the maids. They all start with 'of' and are followed by the name of their owner (ex.: Ofwarren, Offred), which makes it very clear that they are property and might be a way of dehumanizing them.

Now on to the actual review.

While I don't necessarily dislike literary books, I do find it very hard to get through them, so as a genre, this was not my favorite. However, this book and the genre in general are still fun to read!
What I like about this book a lot is the mystery and the dystopian setting. I love books with some angst and mystery and I am a big sucker for dystopia.

I marked the pacing as medium, because there is quite some action written pretty closely after each other time-wise, but during and between that action there is enough description of the situation and the place the books take place in, which adds to the experience and gives the reader insight in the world-building of the book.

My advice: read the book! If you're a literature lover, this is just a great piece of it, and if you're someone who doesn't enjoy reading literature too much, but wants to dip their toe into it and/or is required to read a number of literary books for school, this is definitely a recommendation, as it is not too slow paced and quite recent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Body horror, Infertility, and Grief

kathleentcarroll's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Abortion

Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

graceanna's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body horror, Infertility, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

Minor: Miscarriage, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Alcohol

izzyknight's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is a great book and there’s a reason that it’s a modern classic. I read it a few years ago and reread it for school and it is just good. The world is so scary and really well constructed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body horror and Death

Gilead is a possible world and some scenes and concepts within it are purposely shocking and unpleasant.

alyssadavis's review

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"There is more than one kind of freedom. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Pregnancy

Minor: Self harm, Suicide, and Abortion

aliceloyallaleon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

kyrab's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

panicpanic94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

lhwilk's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Murder

dsaiz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Physical abuse