Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

347 reviews

sparrolina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Torture, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Islamophobia, Trafficking, and Mass/school shootings

caroline_mclaughlin's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

It’s so refreshing to read a dystopian novel that does not rely on a chosen one or the toppling of a long-lived political system. It feels like an anthropological study firsthand from someone who lived in a foreign, but not altogether impossible, reality. It feels grounded in realism, likely due to Atwood’s use of real historical events to develop her world. I appreciated getting to see this world not from a “radical” of her time speaking anachronistically, but instead from a victim of the system watching herself conform and make difficult or “stupid” decisions enforced by her situation.

I had avoided this book for so long, despite enjoying some of Atwood’s poetry. I thought the story would be too heavy and dark, and, although it was an older dystopian story, it may feel outdated and no longer truly relevant. However, I quickly found her prose to be engaging and beautiful, without being too flowery or grotesque. It was an easy read to start, and by the point it became more difficult and heavy, I was too engrossed to stop.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry

sarahgmo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Simply amazing! A modern classic dystopian novel with fun wordplay and imagery that just worked for my brain, and themes of gender, power, and autonomy. I loved it as much as I loved 1984, which is saying something! Unlike 1984, this book is from the perspective of someone who remembers the recent and dramatic shift of society, which I really enjoyed! Nothing is taken for granted as “simply the way things are” (from the narrator’s perspective). Instead, it is a very uncomfortable adjustment, which also makes the pious seem even more ridiculous in their devoutness. I should reread this in a few years to reflect on it again. Nothing I can say now would do it justice, but maybe in a few years, I’ll have the words to describe my love for every word in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Abortion, Murder, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and War

ellieswilliams's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: War

angemarval's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

suicana's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The most unsettling part of this book is how it's clearly dystopian, and yet you look at what's going on in the US/the world and think you're not that far off at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Infertility, Infidelity, and Sexual content

ann_the_imp's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sawyer75's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Fell in love with this book the moment I read it. Was especially prevalent given the upcoming presidential election in 2020. So weird to come back to it after the election of 2024.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

spl2d's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Got me thinking, was reacting and leaving margin comments in the second half. It took a little while to get into, but then really picked up speed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria

Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Alcohol

kamrynkoble's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Brilliant, and terrifying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Sexual content and Vomit