Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

291 reviews

warriors123's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

It is driven by the commander and the main character is powerless 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Rape

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Mental illness, Alcohol, and Murder

booksnobb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

this was obviously a brilliant book and is defo a new fave of mine.

it was not what i was expecting. i did not expect such incredible writing, nor such a disturbing story - but i loved it anyway. the writing style made this book and if im honest, its easily the best writing i have ever read: it was complex, not to the point of it being a difficult read, but it was so soul-bearing and rich with tension, emotion and vivid mental pictures. i could rave about it for ages but in summary, it dropped my jaw and it WILL open your legs. However, i found that near the ending the writing became slightly repetitive - like too much of a good thing. i wish Atwood used less minicliffhangers at the end of paragraphs (please tell me that makes sense) because although they were all great, there were so many that they kinda lost their punch and had a much lesser impact.

Atwood’s take on dystopia was so captivating and actually quite frightening. even though it is very very far off from our current reality, as i read this, the worldbuilding was so solid that i felt like this was a genuine possibility. and im not gonna do a whole analysis here but the social issues dealt with here had such intriguing commentary. you could write a book on this book and im sure someone has. i would read it.

oh and this is the first book where i didn’t roll my eyes at the first-person narrative bc she executes it SO WELL. there was no looking into her golden orbs in the mirror 🥳🥳 ngl i didnt even notice that it was in first person until like the middle of the book. Whether thats a compliment to Atwood or an insult to me im not sure. probably both. and this book actually wouldnt have worked in the third person, even if it were omniscient. it’s just too intimate for that. 

i loved all the characters, especially the protagonist because damn they were so INTERESTING. im not really one for morals influencing whether i like a character, but i need them to feel genuine. so although there wasnt much development per se, there was a lot of character work, and i felt like i understood them. i think its because the protagonist had so much empathy, so through her eyes we saw each character laid bare. Atwood also didnt give two shits whether we liked them, and in doing so made them much more real and imo likeable. 

i loved the structure - the story escalated gradually and the plot thickened as it kinda examined and critiqued the society and it made me feel pretty smart while reading it. i love books that boost my ego. Atwood just has this way of providing information unhurriedly, so it feels like a natural expansion and never like infodumping.

so, in summary, go read The Handmaid’s Tale 💗💕

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Sexism, Pregnancy, Cursing, Infidelity, War, Infertility, Rape, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual content, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Animal cruelty, Blood, Grief, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, and Animal death

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Abortion, Stalking, Gun violence, Murder, Vomit, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

florenceassetto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

i LOVE the handmaid's tale! most definitely did myself a disservice in taking so long to get through it but the honest and rawness of the sentiments that offred echoes are so captivating for a reader and i cannot help but hurt for her in her suffering. i think handmaid's is so painfully relevant to the modern reader, just as it was when it first came out in the 1980s, and it speaks so truly to societal attitudes to what it means to be a woman, love, sex and sexuality, patriarchy and so much more. i would always recommend this book 100%, one of my favourite dystopias out there and truly a classic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Infertility, Misogyny, Trafficking, Death, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Infidelity

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Confinement, Violence, Miscarriage, Torture, Sexual content, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Antisemitism

srmtaylor09's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

latoyareadsdaily's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 This is my first Atwood book and I found it to be a realistic dystopian story. I appreciated it for what is: a story from what seems to be an unreliable narrator who just wanted to be free but endeavoured to live according to the rules of the system until she found what she thought was a pleasurable distraction.

I read the introduction by Atwood and that alone made me salivate for the story. I really liked the writing style because I was immediately transported to Offred's world and I saw some glimpses into "June's" world before she became a nameless womb for the system. I didn't know what to expect each time I had interaction with the book which was over a few weeks as I really took my time on the only part of the book I didn't like: the academic presentation that I understood but did not feel like it was necessary. It just seemed like an afterthought that made me angry because it spoiled the story for me.

I believe June's story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Death, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Misogyny

tieflingmom's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Police brutality, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Torture, Sexual content, Death, Infertility, Child death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, War, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Suicide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Medical content

auri_underthing's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Red. Silence. Desperation.

Huh. Kinda grim and boring. But well written and good world building. 

I didn’t like the diff hanger. I would have preferred to know what happened to Offred.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Suicide, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Infertility

maddiet425's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Misogyny, Confinement, and Suicide

Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Miscarriage

lhorner06's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.75

I didn't much like the ending seemed a little rushed and not quite to quality of the rest of the book, though I'm hoping that The Testaments will clear that up. Easy to read and very enjoyable.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Misogyny, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

_brittsbookshelf_'s review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide