Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

691 reviews

annaemason's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Rape

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Suicide

madmadmaddymad's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Thanks for the nightmares, Margaret Atwood! 

I hated this book, for how chilling it was, how easily I believed every word of it. 

I’ve been processing the United States November 2024 election while reading this book, and I can’t say that I made a good decision in picking this one up. I’m so uncomfortable how close our lives are getting to this dark problematic world. 

The worst part is the punctuation of this story with Offred’s constant refrain “I don’t want to be telling this story.” She’s telling a story to herself each night. Telling a story to her daughter. Telling a story to Luke, if she ever meets him again, “…in the future or in heaven or in prison or underground, some other place.” Telling the story to another handmaid, to another woman, to me. How many times did I read the dread coming straight from her having to tell this story, and feel dread myself, because I didn’t want to be reading it. And yet I couldn’t put it down. It was the least I could do. I will hear your story, Offred. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Violence, and War

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Grief, and Pregnancy

dylfitt's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is one of the most chilling and haunting books I have ever read. It pains me to see some of the events of this book starting to take place in our lifetimes. It is gripping; I finished this book very quickly since I could not stop thinking about it. Don’t skip out on the historical notes at the end, either.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and War

Minor: Islamophobia and Mass/school shootings

edentiefling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

nova123's review against another edition

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

5.0

"Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse, for some." ... not a huge dystopia fan but I think everyone should read this 🫡 brilliant writing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death, Infertility, Sexual content, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abortion, and War

misszoehatter's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

samcsmith's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Murder

batcavebooks's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Body shaming

ye_li's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Torture, and Deportation

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Antisemitism

vulcajes's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

1.0

Hated this book so damn much. I understand what Atwood was going for, and I understand why she made Offred so insane, but my god. What the hell is going on. Why does Offred want to fuck an egg.

Also Atwood said that she never intended for Offred's name to be June, which doesn't matter but pisses me off personally. Literally why else were there so many June references throughout the entire book. June is the only name in Chapter 1 that we don't see repeated. The month June is in the book. Aunt Lydia tells the handmaids to stop mooning and June-ing. Margaret what the fuck.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Slavery, and Suicide