Book Review…The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Summary by Goodreads:

In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.

When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her–freedom, prison or death.

With The Testaments, the wait is over.

Margaret Atwood’s sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.

“Dear Readers: Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.” –Margaret Atwood

“Who are you, my reader? And when are you?”

My Thoughts:

I’m trying to recover from the depression you get after finishing an amazing book. I’m still holding out hope, though, that Margaret Atwood will write a third installment for us all to enjoy. Her writing will never cease to amaze me, and her stories will never grow old. But, without giving too much away, I’m satisfied with how the Testaments ended. I wouldn’t mind if another book didn’t follow this one (but, please write another one?). I feel as if I was shown enough of Gilead to answer my burning questions from the Handmaid’s Tale but was also given a fresh story to quench my desire for more.

The story is told from three different points of view. I can’t tell you who these three people are without taking the experience from you. But Atwood does a great job of making each of these three characters sound and act completely different, which, as an aspiring writer I know is hard to do. It truly sounded like three different people were writing their accounts of their time in Gilead and I was entertained with each storyline. Atwood’s writing is always beautiful and the work she puts into her novels isn’t overlooked.

I couldn’t put the book down. I read at work, I woke up early to read, and I put off homework to divulge. There was a slight predictability to the novel, but not in a way that left you disappointed, but in a way that satisfied your cravings. It incorporated characters from the Handmaid’s Tale and it allowed storylines to intertwine. I was very satisfied as a reader to be able to see characters I knew from the other book and to see the same Gilead and its strange teachings. I loved being able to dive deeper into how Gilead came about. You also get to see one of the Aunt’s life before Gilead and get to see another woman’s view of Gilead from a different country.

Truly, everything you could ever want out of a book you receive in the Testaments. You know how when you become obsessed with a book or a movie you just want to know more? You want to see more characters, you want more background, you want to see it from different points of views, etc.? Well, Atwood knew the needs of her readers and provided everything we could ever want. I wasn’t let down by this novel. The hype isn’t a lie. Margaret Atwood does it again!

“You are not unique in the universe. No one has an easy time in life.”

I recommend this book to…

…any and everybody! This book is so well written. Any book lover will adore its beauty and its uniqueness. People who don’t love romances will love this book. People looking for something a little deeper than your average read will love this book. Give this and the Handmaid’s Tale as a gift to your adult friends (for there is a bit of mature content). Recommend this book to your coworkers. Share the beauty of Atwood’s writing with everyone.

Comfort Guide:

Between 10-20 uses of the “F” word. Every other swear word used at least once. Some violence, but none graphic. Sexual content. One mildly explicit sexual scene that only lasts a paragraph. Mentions of rape, suicide, self-harm, murder, etc. Mature content and themes, but no gore and not too explicit of detail.

Info:

Author – Margaret Atwood

Published – 2019

Page Count – 422