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vinsynt's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Death, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Violence, Pregnancy, and Grief
Minor: War, Homophobia, and Gore
reddeddy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Murder, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Abortion, Antisemitism, Biphobia, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Excrement, Police brutality, Racism, Torture, Trafficking, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, and Pedophilia
sunny_not's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, War, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
ahaines18's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Infertility, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Abortion, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
chadelaine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Sexism
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
it's definitely white feminism, with racism in this religious-extremist totalitarian regime only mentioned once, in passing, at the very end. compared to another modern classic published just two years later, Beloved, it's kind of embarrassing.
cover design review: ★★★★☆. instant one-star deduction for having author's name larger than the title (sorry Margaret Atwood), and this is especially egregious; the title is relatively tiny. we all know minimalism has become excessive but i really like this one. the centering of the title is very satisfying, with approximately equal overhang of "HANDMAID'S" on either side of the dress. and the best part, get ready for your mind to be blown: see that dot in front of the Handmaid's head? it's the eye of a face in profile looking to the left hidden in the negative space. genius
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicide, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Classism, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Trafficking, Violence, Domestic abuse, Death, Rape, Infidelity, Misogyny, Infertility, Murder, Sexual violence, and Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal death, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug use, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Child death
Minor: Abortion, Medical content, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Racism, War, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, and Vomit
sandy_21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Rape, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Drug use, Transphobia, Death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Abortion, Medical content, and Miscarriage
accio_gays's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gaslighting, War, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, and Grief
mxdegroot's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Slavery, Body horror, and Rape
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gore, Murder, Pregnancy, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Body horror, Infertility, and Grief
evilyn's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, War, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Homophobia, Grief, Genocide, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Death, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Ableism, Abandonment, and Abortion