Finally, I got to read the most anticipated book of 2019, the long awaited sequel to The Handmaids Tale. The Testaments took the book community by storm last month when it was released. When I received my copy from Penguin I was so excited to get to it. However, I had to read The Handmaids Tale first as I’ve never read it before and I’m glad I did as I would’ve been so confused.
Disclaimer: The Testaments was sent to me by Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. I’m highly grateful to have received the copy.
Book Description
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
Review
Having read The Handmaids Tale just a week prior to starting The Testaments, I felt it was a good strategy because I was so engrossed in Atwood’s writing and I was aware of the narrative and characters from the first book. With that said, I enjoyed the writing style from both books, it’s different from anything I’ve ever read before.
The Testaments is told in multiple perspectives (unlike the first book where I felt we were just in Offred’s head) which allowed us as readers to get the feel of Gilead, understand its inner workings as well as the inhabitants of Gilead, it’s regimes and corruption. A broader picture of the world outside Gilead has been provided which was never portrayed in the first book.
I must say that, it took me a while to get into this book and I guess I did not quite understand Daisy’s character as it was a bit different from the others. However, it did not last very long as I got to understand how her character fits into the whole story. I absolutely adored Aunt Lydia’s and Agnes’s point of view.
As this story takes place years after The Handmaids Tale, we get to witness new things i. e. uprisings and how the regimes of Gilead are viewed and understood by the younger generation outside of Gilead.
I loved how relatable these characters are and Atwood did an amazing job tying everything together. Overall, it was a great read for me that I’d highly recommend to everyone even just to experience a different writing style.
Rating
Book Details
Title: The Testaments; Author: Margaret Atwood; Genre: Dystopian Fiction; Publisher:Penguin; Published: 10 September 2019; Page count: 419; Buy: here or here
I’d like to know your thoughts if you’ve read it or The Handmaids Tale. Are you adding this to your reading list? Let us know in the comments section.
I can’t believe you’ve finished it already!
I loved The Handmaid’s Tale and like you, it’s taking me a while to get into The Testaments.
😂😂 Yeah The Hate Tale was good. It’ll get better don’t worry.