A review by ellisinthetardis
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

challenging dark tense fast-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? No

3.75

when i saw that the handmaid’s tale and the kite runner were my two set texts, i thought for sure I’d enjoy the former most. im a feminist who grew up worshipping at the alter of suzanne collins (and really any other dystopia i could get my hands on), so it seemed like the perfect mix. however, i found the writing style (while intentional, as those who have finished the book will know) to be a bit of an obstacle to immersing myself in margaret atwood’s AMAZING world building. nevertheless, this book is obviously a classic and one that is undoubtedly required reading for feminists and dystopia-lovers. 
i think i would’ve definitely enjoyed this book more had i read it before it’s premise became so well known, because a lot of it is dedicated to explaining how things work in Gilead; obviously this is not a thing either i or Atwood could have controlled, but it still impacted how much i enjoyed it.

all in all, defo give it a read! however much you think you know about the premise, there’s for sure more to find out, and it’s only 320 pages. but this wasn’t my absolute, 5-star, blow-my-socks-into-the-pacific favourite read of the year.
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