The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Genre: Speculative fiction, Dystopia
Suggested Age: Adults
What is this Book About? The Testaments is a sequel to the bestselling book The Handmaid’s Tale. It is not the sequel many expected. It does not pick up where The Handmaid’s Tale leaves off. It is also not told from the perspective of the main character of its previous novel. We revisit Gilead, a future piece of America that has been overthrown by a patriarchal oppressive regime. This book takes place fifteen years in the future and is told from three separate female perspectives. We see perspectives from both inside and outside of Gilead. We also get a glimpse of how this regime began its reign as well as a peek of how things have gone in Canada. What is the current state of Gilead and its surrounding regions, and those who live there?
My Review: I have really enjoyed this collection of tales. I always enjoy trying to look at situations from multiple viewpoints, and this book delivers diverse points of view. I liked peering into the past to see how Gilead manipulated those at the beginning of its reign as well as the view of it further down the road. We get viewpoints of those stuck right in the middle as well as those who have seemingly spent their whole lives viewing Gilead from the outside. Due partially to the writing style, this book does not have quite the depth and weight as its predecessor. This did not take away from my enjoyment of this book, but did make it quite a different read.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Gripping, Fascinating, Provoking
Give it a Try if You Like: The Handmaid’s Tale (book and show), 1984
Rating: 4.5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
