Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

133 reviews

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

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

attie_moon's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

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

sarasreading's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

This book is a classic for a reason, and I was pretty blown away by it. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I have a harder time with physical books, but I kept saying, "one more chapter" with this for like 40% of the book, until it was after 2am and I absolutely had to put it down. 

It's disturbing and harrowing. You feel as helpless and trapped as the main character, and I found myself wondering what I would do in the same position often while reading. Part of me is more curious to watch the show now, but I also know the show goes even harder than the book and I may not be able to stomach it. Reading it right after the election was also an experience, as religious extremists gain a bigger and bigger foothold in our government. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Classism

Moderate: Infertility and Police brutality

elenaaurora's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder

barbarianmissy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

I didn’t necessarily enjoy this book because the world it’s set in and the things the characters go through are absolutely horrendous, but I found it to be an incredibly impactful cautionary tale of how the world could look if women’s and human rights continue to be taken away under an unjust government.

The complete disregard for personal freedom of any kind for both men and women on the account of highly censored media and manipulated religious demands (not beliefs) is scary foresight.

Hope the world today continues to fight for the rights for people to choose, love, and live however is right for them regardless of what the government sees fit. 

Margaret Atwood’s writing is so poetic and multiple times throughout the book, she had me thinking about certain aspects of our world today in a very different light. Many times I had to put the book down and absorb what I had just read or take a break because I felt quite emotional for the characters. 

Highly recommend reading this book at this point in our history. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

getyourghosts's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Abortion

Minor: Child death and War

bigwordsgirl6's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Classism

kimmy_witch's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting