allidone'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexism, Trafficking, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Torture, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Infertility, and Hate crime
Moderate: Racism and Ableism
eatwritereadrepeat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Injury/injury detail, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Infertility
Minor: Abortion, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Bullying
mikala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, and Infertility
Moderate: Transphobia, Alcohol, Sexual content, Biphobia, Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Blood, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship
marionesq's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Margaret Atwood succeeds in writing that leaves more to our imagination, but doesn't leave you short-changed. You can trust your brain to connect the pieces. She does it by writing not simply visually, but cinematically. And the way everything unfolds is just brilliant.
Graphic: Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Genocide, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Classism, Confinement, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Lesbophobia, Trafficking, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Miscarriage
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Death of parent, Medical content, and Abortion
meganpbennett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
As for the story itself, I found the narrator to be very unreliable, and the non-linear narrative was very hard to follow at times, making it hard to tell when various events were taking place. Very similar to 1984, but in a different direction.
Graphic: Infertility, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Slavery, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Self harm
spag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Infertility
lorraine19'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? It's complicated
5.0
For this reason, I'd advise against reading if you are sensitive or have trauma that is easily triggered.
However, it does highlight some very relevant issues and is something I think many people should read. It will make you uncomfortable. You might have to put it down for a couple days to process it or take a breather. But it is worthwhile and will make you recognize small signs of sexism and discrimination. It shows how small things can escalate. It is also very heavy on religion and politics, but I view the main character as someone wanting to reclaim her religion from extremists - for this reason I do not believe it is anti-religious but anti-extremism.
I do wish they went more into some of the other characters impacted (which I believe she does in the sequel) but it also did a good job of explaining the world strictly from the main character's POV.
<SPOILER> The book only covers what is basically the first season of the show but the plot is also a bit different. This leaves it open ended as well. <SPOILER>
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Biphobia, Child abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Classism, Antisemitism, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Violence, War, Abortion, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
Ritualistic rape, religious extremism, political abusek_galloway's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Classism, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Sexism, Hate crime, Gun violence, Confinement, Blood, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Kidnapping, Infertility, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Police brutality, Genocide, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, and Murder
kmayatte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Confinement, Rape, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Racism, Abortion, Infidelity, and Murder
Minor: Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Trafficking