A review by netanella
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

I am a bit shocked at myself for having taken this long to read, finally, such a culturally significant work.  I knew the basics of the story, of course - it's a dystopian tale set in near-future America where women have been reduced to their reproductive abilities.  Handmaids in their characteristic red dress and white head covering have become international symbols of protest against governments that seek, again and again, to restrict women's rights to control their own bodies. 

<img src="https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/04AO3sVoYWNoEyRZGhv1sHT/images-1.fill.size_800x533.v1611697151.jpg"/>

Margaret Atwood is a phenomenal writer, and I am amazed at her abilities with the written language. I remember feeling this same sort of awe after I read her equally incredible [book:Oryx and Crake|46756] a few years ago. 

I was shocked by the ending, and kept turning back in my reader, thinking <i>"did I miss a page?"  and then what? </i>  I am well aware that this type of ending has employed before, but I was completely under the spell of the author.

5 well deserved stars from me!  Next, [book:The Testaments|42975172]!