Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

53 reviews

juliadama's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Child abuse

Minor: Police brutality

melissathejan'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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia

onegirlandtheworld's review

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It has been a while since I read The Handmaids Tale but I had watched the TV adaptation and was intrigued by where the story went in the later seasons especially after seeing comments online in relation to Aunt Lydia and The Testaments.

I could not put this book down! I loved the 3 different perspectives and how they were gradually woven together. Although I worked out fairly early on where it was going with Baby Nicole and Agnes (probably helped along by the TV series) I still enjoyed reading how it unfolded. 

In some ways I wish we got to hear more about whether Offred was the mother in question and what happened to the girls in Canada. However, the fact that all is never revealed in this and The Handmaids Tale is part of the experience and makes it feel real. We will never truly know what happened in the past and that's what makes it so interesting!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Suicide

pandapuffs's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

karol99's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Infertility, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Miscarriage, War, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Murder

Minor: Torture

dobbywobby's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I love the first book, but I wish this one touched on Offred. She is not a present character in this novel. The book shifts through multiple POV and all characters know of Offred and she is respected and feared, but no one really talks about

how she escaped or how her life turns out. It is mostly Aunt Lydia’s perspective showing how Gilead came to be and how Aunt Lydia grew to be the cruel character she is depicted as in the first book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

celisabell's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I deeply enjoyed knowing more about Gilead's rising and fall. The way the different stories connected gave it a very good flow, and I just couldn't stop reading. It made me want to go back and read the Handmaid's tale once more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Violence, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicide attempt

Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, and Trafficking

claireargent's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Sexual violence

Minor: Death and Child abuse

bradypus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Homophobia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia

Minor: Abortion

madeleinedaly1's review

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Rape, Child death, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence