Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

189 reviews

lampbearerk's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Murder, and Pregnancy

veposve's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War, and Deportation

confessions_of_a_reader's review against another edition

dark slow-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? No

5.0

I don't know if I would've survived in such a society. 
 

If I was one of the lucky ones "the wives" I'd hate to see my husband go around with other women who would then bair his child that I have to raise knowing full well that I failed to bair one myself.
  If I was a handmade, my value determined by how well and how many children I could produce, seen as nothing but a reproductive machine, I'd probably be nothing but a shell if not risking everything to escape somewhere. 
  The husband is questionable to me, I can't deny that he cares for her and their daughter, but his patriarchal beliefs started showing with the shift in society or maybe he's a representation of what caused the shift in the first place. 
  It is crazy how this can all be normal to the upcoming generations, who might not know a thing about being your own self, dancing in the rain, making poor fashion choices, falling in love, having a dream job, and having a warm family.

my favourite quotes:
•"There's more than one kind of freedom, said aunt Lydia; freedom to and freedom from"
•I tell, therefore you are

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Abortion

miannavonbroz's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

At times, it was difficult to understand what was going on in the book. I recommend watching the series to fully understand the story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Blood, Abortion, and Classism

chloe_bocci_07's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

kaibeast5544's review against another edition

Did not enjoy 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

edentiefling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

katiey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Everyone should read this book. It is written in a vivid way that makes the strange world and characters jump out and feel so real. I love how the way it is written truly makes it feel like the main character telling her story to someone. In some ways a cautionary tale, as well as a reflection on patriarchy and control of women, it is an important story to be told and to be read. This book pulled raw emotion out of me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Alcohol

All of this content is important to the story told in this book, and helps it to feel real.

author_d_r_oestreicher's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

 

Gilead. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Offred is the Commander’s (Fred’s) Handmaid. She wears red. The women who work in the house (Cora and Rita) are Martha’s. They wear green. The Commander’s wife is Serena Joy. She wears blue. The male workers are Guardians. Offred’s purpose is to get pregnant. Serena Joy oversees the monthly ritual for this purpose. Many suspect that the Commander is sterile. “I almost gasp: he’s said a forbidden word. Sterile. There is no such thing as a sterile man anymore, not officially. There are only women who are fruitful and women who are barren, that’s the law.” A classic novel of a patriarchal dystopia. Read it. 

 

 

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for Omega Cats Press books and book recommendations. 

For my extended notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood.html 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Abortion, and Colonisation

kate_____'s review against another edition

challenging reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I thought this was a fascinating read after watching the show a few months ago! Pretty quick to get through, and fascinating to get more of Offred’s thoughts. However, I felt the end was a bit abrupt and open ended.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Ableism