Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

73 reviews

fandomsandfiction's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

Margaret Atwood is brilliant.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Infertility, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Abortion, Antisemitism, and Suicide

kiapin28's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Suicide, Self harm, Rape, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and War

Moderate: Body shaming, Classism, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Infertility, Slavery, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Torture, and Sexual violence

lorraine19's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I read this book after I started the show. (See spoiler for connection between show and book.) It is very tense and covers extremely sensitive subjects in a brutal way. 

For this reason, I'd advise against reading if you are sensitive or have trauma that is easily triggered. 

However, it does highlight some very relevant issues and is something I think many people should read. It will make you uncomfortable. You might have to put it down for a couple days to process it or take a breather. But it is worthwhile and will make you recognize small signs of sexism and discrimination. It shows how small things can escalate. It is also very heavy on religion and politics, but I view the main character as someone wanting to reclaim her religion from extremists - for this reason I do not believe it is anti-religious but anti-extremism. 

I do wish they went more into some of the other characters impacted (which I believe she does in the sequel) but it also did a good job of explaining the world strictly from the main character's POV. 

<SPOILER> The book only covers what is basically the first season of the show but the plot is also a bit different. This leaves it open ended as well. <SPOILER>

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Biphobia, Child abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Classism, Antisemitism, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Violence, War, Abortion, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Ritualistic rape, religious extremism, political abuse

emiliaelko's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

4.0

Very hard to read because it is so dark 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Genocide, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Infertility, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

k_galloway's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Racism, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Blood, Genocide, Homophobia, Infertility, Torture, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

lilac_ruiz's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Sexual assault, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

jennino's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, and War

isabelle_mace's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Slavery

Moderate: Gaslighting and Emotional abuse

anotheranomaly_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Medical content, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Genocide, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, War, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Police brutality, Body shaming, Cursing, and Death

jennylarue's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, and Infertility

Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Self harm, Infidelity, Mental illness, Torture, Suicide, Miscarriage, Classism, Child death, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts