aletolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
I was completely captivated by this novel and I enjoyed every page of it. I've always appreciated Atwood's writing style ever since I read Handmaid's Tale but I appreciated her even more after this one. I think she writes so beautifully while making it easy to read at the same time. There was something sad — or painful in the way she ended most of the chapters.
yleavy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Rape
karieh13's review against another edition
Was reading while on bedrest with Hannah
interrowhimper's review against another edition
4.0
Captivating prose. Uncomfortable all the time, to have a perspective character with a rich inner life...when that life is terrible and filled with oppression. Probably too quick on the conclusion. I felt like the pacing was strange and unsatisfying at the end.
pixieolimpia's review against another edition
2.0
I honestly did not care enough to read further in order to discovers what happens.
jxriggle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
disneyfreak627's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
heliopteryx's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most beautifully written books I have ever read.
ablotial's review against another edition
4.0
When I started reading this book, I had no idea what to expect. The title led me to believe maybe it was about mobsters? But the picture of the girl on the front made me wonder... plus I had heard there was a science-fiction aspect as well, and I had no idea how that would fit in. The only other book by this author that I have read is [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1294702760s/38447.jpg|1119185] back in 2003 or 2004, and everyone says that there is no comparison between the two books, although both are wonderful.
This is one of the books I added to my TBR the first day I joined Goodreads, so it feels nice to finally check it off the list! There are 9 more books added that day, maybe I'll try to read them all this year :P (probably not)
Anyway, this book was excellent, really well written. I wavered back and forth between 4 and 5 stars for quite some time - I eventually decided to go with four stars because it just didn't pull me in and make me want to be reading every second of every day. When I didn't get to it for a few days I wasn't horribly disappointed, though I was never disappointed once I actually was reading again. Who knows, maybe I will adjust it up to five at a later date when I find that the book has "stuck with me" better than I expected.
I didn't find the characters likable or interesting; they grew on me a little bit but honestly I never did come around to them. Thankfully that didn't prevent my enjoyment of the story. There seemed to be three or four stories being told simultaneously, as well as news stories inserted for us to puzzle through as well, and they really didn't come together to form a coherent picture until quite late in the story. This was frustrating at the beginning, but when they did come together, WOW! I realized the artistry of the author's storytelling. I had figured out some of the pieces before the author revealed them, specifically involving Laura, but not so much before that I felt annoyed by this. I never did figure out the "point" of Aimee and Sabrina as characters, except I suppose as a reason for Iris to write down her story at all, so that her granddaughter could understand her history... but I feel like they didn't add much to the novel and Iris just as easily could have decided to write it down to clear her conscious before her own death.
I highly recommend this book, and do stick with it if the first few chapters don't grab you ... I promise it's worth the effort!
This is one of the books I added to my TBR the first day I joined Goodreads, so it feels nice to finally check it off the list! There are 9 more books added that day, maybe I'll try to read them all this year :P (probably not)
Anyway, this book was excellent, really well written. I wavered back and forth between 4 and 5 stars for quite some time - I eventually decided to go with four stars because it just didn't pull me in and make me want to be reading every second of every day. When I didn't get to it for a few days I wasn't horribly disappointed, though I was never disappointed once I actually was reading again. Who knows, maybe I will adjust it up to five at a later date when I find that the book has "stuck with me" better than I expected.
I didn't find the characters likable or interesting; they grew on me a little bit but honestly I never did come around to them. Thankfully that didn't prevent my enjoyment of the story. There seemed to be three or four stories being told simultaneously, as well as news stories inserted for us to puzzle through as well, and they really didn't come together to form a coherent picture until quite late in the story. This was frustrating at the beginning, but when they did come together, WOW! I realized the artistry of the author's storytelling. I had figured out some of the pieces before the author revealed them, specifically involving Laura, but not so much before that I felt annoyed by this. I never did figure out the "point" of Aimee and Sabrina as characters, except I suppose as a reason for Iris to write down her story at all, so that her granddaughter could understand her history... but I feel like they didn't add much to the novel and Iris just as easily could have decided to write it down to clear her conscious before her own death.
I highly recommend this book, and do stick with it if the first few chapters don't grab you ... I promise it's worth the effort!
magykmancer's review against another edition
3.0
I can understand why other folks like this book, but it just wasn't for me. The prose was too florid and the plot was too lengthy and depressing for me. The twist at the end wasn't worth powering through the second half of the book, nor were the scifi elements, though they were fun.
In short, if you don't like the first third of the book, I recommend against finishing it.
In short, if you don't like the first third of the book, I recommend against finishing it.