The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

This is my review of  The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, both the TV show and the novel. I will be discussing differences between the two, and which I enjoyed more than the other. I will also have spoilers for both, so if you have not read or watched,  you may not want to read this.

The Handmaid's Tale is a story about a "New" country made inside of the USA named Gilead. Gilead exists by the commanding group taking away the rights of privileges that women have come to know. Women can no longer own land, work, read, write or do anything that makes them similar to a man. The exception being the "Aunts" who are allowed to read and write. There are different types of women; Handmaids, Wives, Marthas, Econowives and Unwomen.

This story is about a handmaid named Offred. Handmaids are women who essentially get raped once a month to get pregnant by their Commander so his barren wife can have a baby. I kid you not, that is really her sole purpose for this whole new world. She is chosen by the government for this because she has done something they see as bad in her past, and have proven she is fruitful.

Her Commander seems like a dick. He does things because he can, and knows he will be able to get away with it. He breaks rules just to show that he has the power. He likes Offred because she was considered smart before all her rights and freedoms were taken away. The Wife, in the novel seems like a bitter old fool who just wants a baby. The Wife on the show I liked more than the woman in the book. Serena Joy in the show was younger, and you got more of a sense of who she was, and you get to see that she really wants that baby. Serena Joy from the show, you also get to see her back story a bit and they she was a huge part in bringing Gilead to fruition. As the second season happens, which is after the novel has finished you can see she has some regrets to what she has done, but won't admit it.

As the story moves on, you get to see that Offred, whose real name is June, gets paired up with Ofglen for all the Handmaid duties. These duties include shopping everyday, going for their walks, and being paired up whenever they have to do something as a group. While reading the novel you find out very little about Ofglen, just that Offred learns to trust her, and then she takes her own life to get out of being punished or killed by Gilead for not being a true believer. Ofglen in the TV is much more complex. You get to know that she is a married lesbian with a child. Gilead called lesbians and gays, gender traders. Ofglen being a gender trader which a child, is why she was made a handmaid.

Offred is not happy, but she learns to try to enjoy small things she has been given. She plays scrabble with the Commander, talks a bit with Ofglen, and has a sexual if not romance with Nick. The novel does not go into too much detail for what goes on between her and Nick, however the show played out the relationship more and showed how that little bit of love in weird world can make a huge difference.

One big difference from the novel to the show, was at the end of the show Offred was confirmed pregnant. She also defied the government in a public manner which is where Mayday was able to take her away with a reason before the bad guys could.

All in all the book and tv show were both good, I enjoyed both. The show however, I enjoyed a bit more.

22 Scars by CM North

I was given this ARC from Voracious Readers for an honest review. TRIGGER WARNING ** This novel deals with depression, suicide, mental and physical abuse as well as rape. If any of these are a trigger for you, please do not read this book. 

I really enjoyed this book. That may be hard to believe based on the theme of what you are reading. So let me explain.

This novel is raw, powerful and shows what it can be like for someone who is depressed and suicidal.
22 Scares has 2 different story lines that finally weave themselves together near the end.

It starts out with Amy, a teenage girl who wears goth clothing and makeup, and is obviously suffering. Her one light in her life is her friend Beth. Beth is a positive influence, who Amy flocks to trying to make herself feel better. Beth is keeping Amy afloat in her life. Then Beth dies, and Amy goes into a greater tailspin of depression and sadness. Her mom tries to get her help, but her dad is a douche and thinks she just wants attention.
Through out the whole Amy part of the story, you can feel how much pain she is in. You want to help her and you want to smack her dad for being a complete useless jackass. When Beth died, I cried because it was so heartbreaking that someone who was such a light in their own lives and the lives of their friends was taken away. Amy felt like she had no one, and all I wanted was for someone to come into her life and save her.

The second story we find out near the end, is the story of Amy's parents. How they met, fell in love, and fell into the resentment ridden relationship they are in now. Amy's dad originally was a great guy, until he physically and mentally abused her mom. For some reason Amy's mom stays with him, they get married, he disappoints her over and over. She no longer trusts him, so he tries to build the trust back... just to get her to have sex with him. He fails at building that amount of trust, but she lets him back into their bed for sleeping. Night one, HE RAPES HER. Yes, this man rapes his wife and doesn't feel any remorse. He is a complete narcissistic asshole. 
I have read many books with many deplorable characters, but Amy's dad is right up at the top of my hate list. He is what is wrong with parts of our society today. He thinks he is entitled to what he wants and does not actually care about what it means to take it without permission. 

The end of the book is really well written but hard to read. Amy finds out she was a product of rape. Her last chance at finding someone to help her out of her depression does not call or text her. She ends her life just like you expect from the beginning. Its so sad how people can see she needs help, but she never gets what she needs. I was so upset when I was done. The last chapter is diary entries from Amy. Even though I knew that she had taken her own life I was hoping that there would be an entry after she had been saved in the hospital.
This novel was more like real life than most. There was no real sugar coating of how it feels to be Amy, which is pretty powerful. I will be seeing what else this author comes out with, as the writing and story were very well done. I did not want to put it down. I kept reading hoping for the happy ending that I never got, but that would have been to easy. This was hard, and what really happens in normal peoples lives all over the world. This story now has a piece of my soul, and it belongs to Amy.

Eloy's Discovery by Kara Timmins

I was given this ARC from Voracious Readers for an honest review.

This review has spoilers for the story. If you do not want to know what happens, please stop reading.

 

The beginning of this story started out slow, and there seemed to be a lot of wordiness that were not needed. At times during the first few chapters I also felt the author used big words for the sake of sounding like she was smart, however as the story progresses she stops doing this, which makes the story more enjoyable.

I felt like there were two possible times for a climax in this story, and both were underwhelming. When Eloy and Corwin find the underground city and meet Evas there is build up as to why the city lives underground. The night when Eloy and Corwin are out to see what the evil creatures are was well written. You worried about if they would make it through the night, and when they are discovered you start to panic a bit that they won't make it.... Well Corwin anyway, as the story is about Eloy so you know he will get through it. Eloy then comes up with a viable plan, and they work towards this plan. Once the put into the motion the burning of the creatures, I feel like other than Charlin having to sacrifice himself to start the fires, but the fact that Corwin ended up with a scratch and Eloy was fine, doesn't seem realistic. There should have been more detail in this scene, and more injuries, even if they live through them, it should have been a little more realistic than barely anything. I was a little disappointed with this part of the story because of all of the build up to it that it should have been more exciting.

I enjoyed when Eloy and Corwin went back to the Bowl. The description of Corwin learning they were going back, and how angry he was, was very well done. Going back to something that changed who those little boys were was great. When they find that the Bowl is no longer filled with people they are creating to just be war fodder, and their disappointment that Tudek is lost to insanity, and no longer the man they hated was very well done. You felt the anger, sadness and relief when they got out again. That horrible time in their lives was over, and they never had to go back to it. It also gave Eloy a lead to where Francena was. 

Which brings me to the second possible climax of the story, and again it was underwhelming. I felt like Francena fell into Eloy's lap too easily. His determination to find his sister is a main theme throughout the whole book, and then he just finds her after he gets his first lead. I understand that she ended up being treated well, but it should not have been so easy. Even if the person who came out of the house with an arrow to his face was someone else, and they bring him into the house to try and figure out what he wants from them, and eventually she comes in, would have been better then him walking in front of the house too many times and she bolts out. It was too easy. I expected more, because of the arc of the storyline of her being taken. It just wasn't enough. 

Francena's relationship with Corwin however, I like. She has not been broken, or burdened with a loveless marriage, and now she can love, and so can he. Corwin and Eloy have been through so much together that it is nice to have something good happen for him. Eloy will not get his happy ending til the end of the third book. 

Although there were things I would change about this book, I did enjoy it. I look forward to the rest of the series and to finding out what the heck that stone opens.