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hobosnail's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Characters were wishy washy and unlikeable. The dialogue sounds like it was written by somebody completely out of touch. Reminded me of romance stories my high school friends would write in the 10th grade. All the rabid horniness seemed odd and out of place. As an Atwood fan, I was surprised by how disappointing this train wreck of a book was.
nyquillll's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? No
1.0
I was not expecting what this book ended up being. Since it’s written by the author who wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, I was thinking there would be, you know, some out there ideas with the overall intent of offering some social commentary. While I do think there was some critiques of society, I was confused as to whether it was meant to be heavy-handed, looked at under a microscope, or taken at surface level.
A lot of the plot didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, and I kept reading to see if there would be payoff and there never was. Even when the plot started picking up (around 80%), the payoff wasn’t there. For a plot that hinged on a lot of things going right, everything went right and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
ALSO - I fucking hated the (trigger warning) misogyny, sexism, narcissism, sexualization, harassment, and overall douche-y behavior of the men in this book. The fact that this idyllic society was found to be manufacturing sex robots was not completely surprising - but the fact that men in power were trying to make the sex robots extremely lifelike, to the point that they could resemble the women who rejected them, and THEN weren’t happy enough with the results so they turned to other means of “science” that allowed them to alter the brain chemistry of unsuspecting victims and leave them susceptible to IMPRINTING on the first thing they saw once they woke up??? That’s taking violating consent to a whole fucking new level. Maybe I couldn’t enjoy this book because it didn’t seem like a far-fetched, futuristic idea. It could be something happening now.
Some redeeming qualities? I liked that the book touched on class and privilege, (didn’t like this as much but I guess I can appreciate the duality and complexity) infidelity and the reasons one might engage in it, unknown and alluring versus known and dreary, how our circumstances (financial, mental, physical, etc) can heavily influence our personalities and can even bring out darker qualities at times, how desperation can make us do unbelievable things, and how important memories are as they help us evaluate the morality of actions and can inspire us to change (or not).
Anywho, the writing style was really dense, long long paragraphs with few, short breaks with dialogue. It took me longer than I would’ve liked to finish it, and I’m not sure it was much worth it. :/
A lot of the plot didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, and I kept reading to see if there would be payoff and there never was. Even when the plot started picking up (around 80%), the payoff wasn’t there. For a plot that hinged on a lot of things going right, everything went right and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
ALSO - I fucking hated the (trigger warning)
Some redeeming qualities? I liked that the book touched on class and privilege, (didn’t like this as much but I guess I can appreciate the duality and complexity) infidelity and the reasons one might engage in it, unknown and alluring versus known and dreary, how our circumstances (financial, mental, physical, etc) can heavily influence our personalities and can even bring out darker qualities at times, how desperation can make us do unbelievable things, and how important memories are as they help us evaluate the morality of actions and can inspire us to change (or not).
Anywho, the writing style was really dense, long long paragraphs with few, short breaks with dialogue. It took me longer than I would’ve liked to finish it, and I’m not sure it was much worth it. :/
bibliobrandie's review
4.0
I love the worlds that Margaret Atwood creates. I wasn't initially drawn to the characters but the story and setting were both so captivating that I was hooked from the first page.
Stan and Charmaine are living in their car and barely surviving after an economic collapse. When they hear about The Positron Project they are immediately intrigued, even though they have to sign up for life. Naturally, if something is too good to be true, it usually is. In true Atwood fashion, there are some crazy twists and all is not as it seemed. Though Positron at first appears as a Utopian society, as the story progresses much darker intentions are revealed.
Stan and Charmaine are living in their car and barely surviving after an economic collapse. When they hear about The Positron Project they are immediately intrigued, even though they have to sign up for life. Naturally, if something is too good to be true, it usually is. In true Atwood fashion, there are some crazy twists and all is not as it seemed. Though Positron at first appears as a Utopian society, as the story progresses much darker intentions are revealed.
jess_mango's review
4.0
I do love me some Margaret Atwood. We read this one in book club and it definitely made for some interesting discussions. Once again, Atwood places us in a dystopian society. This one starts out quirky and then slides right toward absurdity.
seymone's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Would you sign your life away for security?
This is my first time reading, Margaret Atwood. Very enjoyable experience. This story was engaging, immersive and highly nuanced. I will make it a point to read more, Atwood.
Would you sign your life away for security?
This is my first time reading, Margaret Atwood. Very enjoyable experience. This story was engaging, immersive and highly nuanced. I will make it a point to read more, Atwood.
miss_creant's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was just plain weird. Not my favorite book by Margaret Atwood. It was messy and odd. It left me feeling unsettled. I would not recommend.
livrahd's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
margolovie89's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual assault
jendilemma's review
3.0
Definitely one of the weaker Atwood dystopia books - I read that it was originally in serial format, so that explains how disjointed it feels. It felt really messy and incomplete with haphazard details - just not at all close to the depth and nuance I've come to expect from her. The world itself was interesting but not nearly well developed enough, and the ending felt so rushed and contrived with many loose ends. Protagonists don't have to be likable, but I had a really hard time connecting with either Charmaine or Stan or even Jocelyn in pretty much any way, and I think the book suffers for that. Still, I'm giving it a middle-of-the-road rating for the questions she's raising/asking us to think about - it was an interesting read if taken more lightly/allowed to be sloppy, but I doubt I'll ever pick it up again.