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tigertheory's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Fatphobia, Xenophobia, Vomit, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, and War
dev921's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
magnan1mouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Incest, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Murder, War, and Classism
leonormsousa's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
james1star's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Was this my vision / the best sequel? No
Was it a satisfactory sequel? Yes
Is it a good book? Yes
Margaret Atwood once agains transports us back to Gilead, and Canada, via her incredible use of descriptive and psychological writing. This was an encapsulating novel and entertaining read with great world-building, character studies with a good plot.
Thankfully we don’t have Offred as a character which really wouldn’t have bode well with me - we left her entering the darkness… or perhaps the light, this ambiguity is one of my favourite parts of THT and picked up on in the historical notes with the icon line of ‘are there any questions?’ Yes we have many! Instead the testaments follows the stories of three women: aunt Lydia, Agnes (this we believe to be Offred’s first child Hannah who was taken from her when captured trying to escape) and Nicole/Daisy (this ‘is’ Offred and Nick’s child who was smuggled to Canada as a baby) and how they each played a role in the downfall of Gilead. The plots and storylines are well written, entertaining and makes you want to read on but they do lack the psychological pull THT had. Additionally, some of the plot twists are kind of telegraphed and the stories all fit together a bit too well and cleanly… made for a tv adaptation? Maybe? I missed the messiness and uncertainty and inner fear that Offred experiences in THT.
Another difference is how the Testaments is more action-focused and hopeful than the original - it’s the suffragettes to THT’s suffragists if you get what I mean. I liked this for sure and it’s entertaining but I did miss the inner pull and heartache, this separation of mind and body with Offred taking ownership of her mental body is her rebellion in a society where all that matters is her body and this is her power. Whereas information and smuggling is the power here, among other things. This actionness also makes the events and characters less realistic to THT but still ‘speculative’ in ways.
Of the three perspectives, aunt Lydia’s is by far the best and most encapsulating. That’s not to say Agnes and Nicole’s aren’t - they are and Atwood writes teenaged so well and lifelike for someone in their 80s. I wanted, I needed, I should have hated aunt Lydia. She is horrible and vindictive and did so many immoral things in THT and the Testaments but I couldn’t. I loved her. She’s so cunning, so knowledgeable, so focused, so powerful. She’s a badass. I don’t only like her for her crucial role in Gilead’s downfall but also her demeanour and personality despite being a villain in a sense. But also we got to see her story, how she was forced into this position - this or death and she chose to live, to thrive in fact, to hold power behind the scenes in a country where women lost all the power they had.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and would totally recommend it. It’s a good book for sure and an adequate sequel to such an amazing literary classic but doesn’t compare in impact - how could it?
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
bandysbooks's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
The story follows three different POV characters as we learn what happens after Offred’s testimony. I thought this was an effective way to show a lot of progression in a lot of different places without making the book 1000 pages.
I will say that while it did provide closure, it didn’t have the same emotional impact as HT. I did appreciate the resolution with some of the older characters like Aunt Lydia.
If you’re considering this series, I’d suggest:
Read Handmaid’s Tale
Watch The Handmaid’s Tale tv series
Finish with The Testaments
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
uhm_kai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
lily1304's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
The Testaments was clearly written partly to satisfy fans' questions about Gilead, and it has a much more traditional dystopian-adventure style than the Handmaid's Tale. You can see the three womens' stories and motivations slowly weaving together to a distinct climax. It's both a strength and a weakness - it's probably more of a page-turner than the Handmaid's Tale, but it doesn't have the same power.
The Testaments introduces the Pearl Girls / "Pearls of Great Price", or Gilead missionaries to Canada and other countries. They seemed like an intentional dig at Mormons, who are known for their pairs of missionaries around the world, and who have a book of scripture called the Pearl of Great Price. I'm not a fan of many aspects of Mormon practice and culture, but it seems extreme and unnecessary to associate them with Gilead.
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, and Alcohol
tessa_specchio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
only things are at some points to so hard to read because of some pretty violent situations as well as a lot of triggering content
if the content won’t trigger you absolutely read it
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
natalie_1127's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Torture, and Grief
Minor: Vomit