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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
This second novel in the MaddAddam trilogy was, for me, an odd duck. The first book (Oryx and Crake) sets the tone for the series' environment by providing both "present day" post-apocalyptic scenes and plot exposition from before the fall. Its story focuses on a character named Snowman--his childhood friendships before the world ends and his life (such as it is) following the apocalypse. The Year of the Flood follows a mostly different set of characters but has a similar structure, with many scenes taking place before the disaster and some story following it. The oddness is, this book does a better job (in my opinion) of world-building than the Oryx and Crake did. The characters and story do intertwine with those of the first book, but only tangentially.
All of this makes me wonder if it would have been more interesting to read the second book first instead. The Year of the Flood does an excellent job detailing the setting in a very interesting way. But we are already "spoiled" on the setting from the first book. This isn't to say that there is nothing new in book 2--quite the contrary. It just seems like an odd way to lay out the trilogy.
If you liked the first book in the series, by all means read this one! If you haven't yet but are a fan of Atwood, or the premise from the dust jacket sounds interesting to you, consider reading the books out of order, and let me know how it goes! In any case, although (or perhaps because) The Year of the Flood is a bit lighter on plot points than I prefer a book to be due to its focus on world-building, I'm looking forward to reading the third novel in the series. Atwood's painting of a not-too-distant, incredibly (frighteningly) believable future is compelling, and the first two books appear to have set up for an excellent continuation of the story.
All of this makes me wonder if it would have been more interesting to read the second book first instead. The Year of the Flood does an excellent job detailing the setting in a very interesting way. But we are already "spoiled" on the setting from the first book. This isn't to say that there is nothing new in book 2--quite the contrary. It just seems like an odd way to lay out the trilogy.
If you liked the first book in the series, by all means read this one! If you haven't yet but are a fan of Atwood, or the premise from the dust jacket sounds interesting to you, consider reading the books out of order, and let me know how it goes! In any case, although (or perhaps because) The Year of the Flood is a bit lighter on plot points than I prefer a book to be due to its focus on world-building, I'm looking forward to reading the third novel in the series. Atwood's painting of a not-too-distant, incredibly (frighteningly) believable future is compelling, and the first two books appear to have set up for an excellent continuation of the story.
Normaal ben ik geen dystopiefan, maar voor een keer stoorden vage sekswerkers in vissenkostuum en katholieke veggies me niet! 3,5 hopla!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great sequel, definitely enjoyed it more than the first book thanks to the new characters we follow. I think shifting from Jimmy's narration was a strong decision and made this book feel very fresh. Also nice to see from an outside perspective that Jimmy really is just kind of a pathetic weirdo. The Gardners offer an interesting perspective of the world and flesh out the non-compound elements wonderfully. I found their connections to MaddAddam, Crake, and the overarching story to be well crafted and wonderfully revealed; the importance of this separate narrative coming to light as you delve further into these characters and this dystopia. As always, Atwood's commentaries on society and especially the commodification of women is poignant and visceral. Will definitely be picking up the last book.
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes