The Testments

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I thought this was great. It's an exciting thriller and the pacing is excellent. They story is told through three points of view - Aunt Lydia, Agnes - a girl raised in Gilead, and Jade - a girl raised in Canada and half sister of Agnes. This is a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale and describes leading up to the eventual fall of the totalitarian society. I read Handmaid's Tale long before it became famous and quite enjoyed it although I don't remember many of the details. I didn't see the television series because I don't watch television but it seemed to be well received.

This story describes how Aunt Lydia manipulates the system to her advantage, how Agnes and Jade grow up and how all three work together to carry vital information out of the country.

If you're an aficionado of dystopian fiction you may find this a bit frustrating. Ms. Atwood makes use of a totalitarian theocracy resulting from a coup in the United States; however, her objective is to study power dynamics. As a result, there are quite a few holes in her world building. Likewise, if you're looking for deep insight into the human condition you may want to take a pass on this book. It's a fantastic thriller but not as deep as some books.

In general I enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting book and isn't looking for deep messages.



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