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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Like her other novels, Margaret Atwood has a good idea, however, she consistently falls short in her writing. It is honestly a shame that she writes about something so important and manages to make it worthless in so many sections. Things were overly described and there were too many references all of which added nothing to the plot. When it was interesting it was good but it was bad it was really bad.
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I realized that I had never read the Handmaid’s tale or even watched the show so I had decided to pick up the book when it was available on Libby and it had me in such a shock. While I had understand the premise of the book before going into it, it just left me speechless over how realistic this book could potentially be. Before reading, I didn’t realize that this book’s setting takes place during the modern age, and to read small moments where our main character, Offred (maybe her name is June?) was remembering before the totalitarian take over when her and her family (Luke and daughter) were still living a normal, happy life. To have the government take over, blocking the bank accounts that was associated with females so they were no longer able to access their financials unless their husbands can, it’s all a nightmare that I believe is a huge possibility for our future now. What hurt the most, was our Narrator making the comment that Luke didn’t understand, because nothing has changed for him but everything was going to change for her, and that’s how the last few months had felt for me. While nothing drastic has occurred currently outside the book, it feels as if the stones are being laid for that path to be walked down.
This entire book had made me feel both scared and seen, terrified of a potential future where I am no longer in control of my body and am only used for a function that biological men cannot do.
This entire book had made me feel both scared and seen, terrified of a potential future where I am no longer in control of my body and am only used for a function that biological men cannot do.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Really enjoyed it until the ending, which felt like a cop-out. Have not read the sequel, so maybe that book would justify it. Otherwise, the story was gripping and I loved the pacing and the way it moved back and forth in time. Offred as a narrator was terrific in the way she reflected on things and had trouble with her memory. The story makes you think about A LOT of things. The ending felt rushed and too ambiguous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
No
Amazing, so clever and ahead of its time. Incredibly pertinent.
I feel like the tv show has lost sight of the importance of the original text, the ambiguity of the handmaid we are following and her ending.
I don’t want to see “June” topple the regime, the beauty of this book is that it tackles the mundane within a strikingly horrific system, it doesn’t sensationalise and yet is entirely more hard hitting in its horrors.
Just so so so clever
I feel like the tv show has lost sight of the importance of the original text, the ambiguity of the handmaid we are following and her ending.
I don’t want to see “June” topple the regime, the beauty of this book is that it tackles the mundane within a strikingly horrific system, it doesn’t sensationalise and yet is entirely more hard hitting in its horrors.
Just so so so clever
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
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:
No
It took me a little bit of time to get into the rhythm of Atwood's writing and understand the world she built. I can't say that I am a huge fan of this book, I was rooting for the narrator but it seems as though at times she wasn't even rooting for herself. I also found the writing style confusing. While I am usually a fan of poetic writing, I didn't enjoy the constant jumping through timelines, the confusing syntax and fixation on seemingly unimportant details.
That being said, I do think it is important to read as a warning of censorship and the dangers of theocracy. Sadly these are still relevant topics in 2025.
It is possible I didn't fully understand the complexity and brilliance that this author is said to have.
That being said, I do think it is important to read as a warning of censorship and the dangers of theocracy. Sadly these are still relevant topics in 2025.
It is possible I didn't fully understand the complexity and brilliance that this author is said to have.