Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

The Testaments: The Sequel to the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

32 reviews

peachybee53's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A perfect conclusion to The Handmaid's Tale. This book had me hooked from the beginning. With three protagonists from different backgrounds, it reads like a historical fiction despite being based in the not-so-distant future. I loved the tones of hope and rebellion throughout, I'm glad that Atwood's dark humour has continued to shine through and I enjoyed the comparisons between citizens' and outsiders' perspectives of Gilead's totalitarian society. Learning that every practice included in the world of Gilead has real-life parallels was frightening but sadly unsurprising. Overall, a fairly easy & very satisfying read.

Favourite Quotes:

"You don't believe the sky is falling until a chunk of it falls on you."

"The world was no longer solid and dependable, it was porous and deceptive. Anything could disappear. At the same time, everything I looked at was very clear."

"So peaceful, the streets; so tranquil, so orderly; yet underneath the deceptively placid surfaces, a tremor, like that near a high-voltage power line. We're stretched thin, all of us; we vibrate; we quiver, we're
always on the alert. Reign of terror, they used to say, but terror does not exactly reign. Instead it paralyzes. Hence the unnatural quiet."

"The world was emptying itself of meaning. Everything was hollow. Everything was withering."

"All of the secrets I had learned, and doubtless many more, would be mine, to use as I saw fit. All of this power. All of this potential to judge the wicked in silence, and to punish them in ways they would not be able to anticipate. All of this vengeance... I would not be telling the truth if I said I was not tempted."

"How can I have behaved so badly, so cruelly, so stupidly? you will ask. You yourself would never have done such things! But you yourself will hever have had to."

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and War

epiphenomena's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

lay_kone's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

evaeyre's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

an amazing sequel! It’s not directly after the Handmaid’s tale and not in her perspective either, but in turn you learn about a newer cast of characters who are equally interesting — including Aunt Lydia! such a complex and inspiring character.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Transphobia and Vomit

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It took a minute to realize there were three POV but when I did, the story started coming together so nicely. I really didn’t want to put this down. I’m a sucker for a dystopian, corrupt-government tale, and this, much like The Handmaid’s Tale, didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed getting a peek into Aunt Lydia’s mind. Atwood’s work continues to be timely and relevant and this sequel to the 1985 Handmaid’s Tale was equal parts fascinating and horrifying. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kileyjojo's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-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

4.5

This is a pretty good follow up to The Handmaid’s Tale. It wouldn’t make much sense as a stand-alone novel so if interested in reading it, the first should be read.
I didn’t expect to have a lot of sympathy for some of these characters and I didn’t at the beginning of the book, but Margaret Atwood surprisingly makes that possible. This goes the opposite way as well, though. This book is a triple perspective one and I found myself disliking characters that are meant to be flawed but liked. Overall, it’s a great follow up to the first book and definitely worth a read if you’re a fan. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

nicekweenreads's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I could not put this book down. Each character was so well built, her personality shining through in her own chapters amazingly. Aunt Lydia's were full of lies and manipulation. Agnes's were more innocent and prious. Daisy's chapters were filled to the brim with teenage confusion and rebelliousness. 

This book builds upon its predecessor's world with glorious detail. How does one become an aunt? Where do they live? Whay happens to daughters of commanders? How does Mayday work?

We finally have answers to these questions from the Handmaid's Tale. I think in someways, it can undo the since of dread the the ending The Handmaid's Tale left, but that isn't a bad thing. The core theme of the book is hope and hope it does leave. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Minor: Rape, Trafficking, and War

tigertheory's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

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

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

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

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

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