You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i really like the last 10% of this book but it was the slowest of slow burns. I almost DNF this book so many times and i'm glad i persevered.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Should reread
Listened to this book on Audible (read it the first time though) and I think it’s no surprise what this book is about. If I did not watch the show and have that context, this book might have been all over the place. I just wanted a refresher before I read/listened to the sequel.
3.5 stars? 4? I don't know.
I can't say that I LOVED the actual plot, but at the same time I can see how the message and world-building make this such an important classic. Does that make sense?
So, I liked this better than Oryx and Crake (or maybe it was better because I wasn't forced to read it for class).
I loved the feminist messages, of course. I can very much identify with them. The setting was definitely intriguing and disturbing, which is what kept me going through most of the story.
What I didn't like so much was that I'm not too sure what the climax was; based on this and Oryx and Crake it feels like world-building is more important than plot in Atwood's stories. (but I'm biased cuz I like action).
Oh and as someone else mentioned, it didn't make sense to me how quickly the country changed and that nobody really fought back.
Lastly, I'm not a fan of open endings either + I tend to suck at deconstructing metaphors so sometimes I didn't get what Offred was thinking; that was probably what frustrated me the most.
I feel like I always write more bad than good in my reviews. Like, identifying what I disliked is easier. Hmm I'm so pessimistic.
Anyway, overall it was good, a bit sad to read but it definitely hit home. Very thought-provoking.
I can't say that I LOVED the actual plot, but at the same time I can see how the message and world-building make this such an important classic. Does that make sense?
So, I liked this better than Oryx and Crake (or maybe it was better because I wasn't forced to read it for class).
I loved the feminist messages, of course. I can very much identify with them. The setting was definitely intriguing and disturbing, which is what kept me going through most of the story.
What I didn't like so much was that I'm not too sure what the climax was; based on this and Oryx and Crake it feels like world-building is more important than plot in Atwood's stories. (but I'm biased cuz I like action).
Oh and as someone else mentioned, it didn't make sense to me how quickly the country changed and that nobody really fought back.
Lastly, I'm not a fan of open endings either + I tend to suck at deconstructing metaphors so sometimes I didn't get what Offred was thinking; that was probably what frustrated me the most.
I feel like I always write more bad than good in my reviews. Like, identifying what I disliked is easier. Hmm I'm so pessimistic.
Anyway, overall it was good, a bit sad to read but it definitely hit home. Very thought-provoking.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating is probably my bad for going from the show to the book, but I did not realize how short the book actually was. Or, rather, I didn’t realize how far the show expanded the book.
The book has a softer tone to it, I feel. Like it’s slightly out of focus. Grey-toned. I don’t know how else to describe it. Bleak, sure, but also kind of velvety.
I really appreciate that Atwood was determined to only include things that had historical precedent, and how she chose specifically to portray this coming about in the USA. It was a solid read on things, even when it was written, and more so every year. It was kind of hard to be reading this in 2025.
The book has a softer tone to it, I feel. Like it’s slightly out of focus. Grey-toned. I don’t know how else to describe it. Bleak, sure, but also kind of velvety.
I really appreciate that Atwood was determined to only include things that had historical precedent, and how she chose specifically to portray this coming about in the USA. It was a solid read on things, even when it was written, and more so every year. It was kind of hard to be reading this in 2025.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated