A review by joypouros
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is the second book in the trilogy. I read the first a couple years ago, and I read the sparknotes summary real quick before diving into this, but it wasn't quite enough. While it could technically stand alone, there's enough overlap where it is better to remember details of the first book. 

It is essentially the same timeline of the first book, just told from a different perspective. The Gardeners are a religious sect that shuns the modern world and preaches an en of days. They are vegetarian and anti consumerist. Each chapter begins with a sermon from their leader and a hymn. The main characters are followers of this religion, though they weren't always. Through flashbacks, you learn their histories and what brought them to The Gardeners. There is overlap with characters and plotlines from the first book.

The plague has happened and they are hunkered in various buildings, trying to survive alone while wondering if there are others.

Th book ends very near how the first book ends, but from a different perspective and possibly a day later.

It's frustrating how vague this book is, yet that's the style of the book. There's a lot to fill in. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings