The Handmaid's Tale

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

*May Contain Spoilers*

I know I should have read this book way before now, as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale has been on my list for a while. But, now I can say that I completed it and it was terrifying in both topic and possibility. 

Though this is a popular novel, for those in need of a little summary The Handmaid's Tale takes place in the future after a nuclear fallout. Women are becoming barren and in order to save the species, a strict social structure has been erected in which women are forced to have sexual intercourse with specific men in order to become pregnant. Women who cannot conceive are punished, as well as anyone else who breaks the rules. This creates a dark and frightening setting in which to examine the social ramifications of oppression and loss of equality between the sexes. 

Offred is the main character of this dystopian novel and her perspective is interesting because she remembers what it was like "before" and is living what it's like "after." By before, I mean before the fallout and before the stark shift in control and loss of equality. I think her character works both as a warning and an example in Atwood's setting. Before, Offred didn't fight for her beliefs and often ignored her mother's feministic viewpoints, which in turn becomes a symbolic warning against ignoring the issues that we face every day in society. Yet, as an example, Offred does break the rules that the new, more-controlling patriarchy has established, fighting back in small ways that could eventually lead to another shift. 

I think readers will feel on the fence about Offred's character. She doesn't do much to push forward, but sometimes a little nudge is all it takes. Offred isn't represented as a brave or courageous character, but she does have moments of resistance. She's kind of presented as being representative of the average woman. Her real name is never revealed and therefore her identity is fluid. This allows readers to see themselves in her and imagine what it would be like if society shifted to force oppression on its members. 

The plot of this novel follows Offred for a short time in her third post, post as in household in which she's supposed to become pregnant. Offred shares her memories of what life was life before, her emotional struggle with what she's lost, and her fear for the future. Though it is a controversial book with extreme actions and conclusions, Atwood's novel is definitely one to read. Not everyone will like it, as it isn't the happiest story to share, yet it's applicable to modern society and raises questions that we should be asking ourselves. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Never Let Me Go

As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life, and for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special—and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Kazuo Ishiguro writes a novel of dystopian compliance with his novel, Never Let Me Go. Set in an alternate reality, this dystopian novel explores the life of clones who have been created for one purpose: to be organ donors. As the main character reflects on her life, she prepares to begin her donation process, which will end with her death. Readers reflect with her as Kathy tells her story of love, learning, and loss. 

Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are the central characters in this book, though it's told from Kathy's point of view. Or rather, it's a story that Kathy is telling. She admits that all of the details might not be completely correct, but the story is nonetheless true. Kathy is a woman who is good at her job. All clones have to be 'carers' at some point, providing care for other clones who have already begun donating. This demonstrates just how caring, loving, and understanding Kathy is. As clones, Kathy and the other like her are all separate from society. They're raised together, taught together, and though they are never given the spelled out version, they'll all die, or 'complete,' by donating vital organs to those in need. 

As Kathy reflects on her life, she tells the story of her tumultuous relationship with her friend Ruth, as well as her dear friendship with Tommy. Kathy is presented as a normal woman with hopes to be a good carer and a good friend. Yet, she never questions her predetermined fate to die so that others can live. There isn't much to dislike about Kathy, although she seems to spend her time focusing on building other people up, putting herself and what she wants behind the needs of others. And though this is a respectable quality, it's also sad to witness the consequences. The ever changing status of Kathy and Ruth's relationship is emotional and evolutionary. Though readers will side with Kathy, they'll also understand Ruth's actions and motivations as another clone who will never see her dreams come to fruition. 

The plot of Never Let Me Go is all about Kathy telling the reader her history. It seems that she does this as a way to let the reader know why she accepts her fate. And though it's easy to say she should have fought the system, it's presented as an impossible feat. By hearing Kathy's story, the reader will come to understand Kathy's desire to be finished, to be complete, after the loss she's witnessed. Never Let Me Go is a heartbreaking exploration of a world where organs are harvested and the recipients try not to think about the sacrifice made so that they may live, evoking very emotional responses from its readers including anger, sadness, and understanding. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Snatched

When Kara was ten, the shifters took her parents.

A year ago, they took her best friend Hunter.

And now, the night before her first military strike against those monsters on the surface, the shifters take the only person she has left: her little sister Lizzy.

The snatched don’t come back. That’s what Kara’s believed her entire life, but the first person she finds above ground is the best friend she thought lost forever. Turns out, the higher ups lied. Other colonies are out there, hell even folks who toughed it up above. If anyone knows how to get her sister back, these people would. However, unless she can rally these surfacers into an army, one girl with a shotgun won’t survive long against the very creatures that overturned her world.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Monsters roam the surface of the Earth, killing and capturing any humans they come across. With bodies that seem indestructible and the ability to teleport, they rule while the citizens of this planet hide underground. Katherine McIntyre shares this horrifying world with readers in her novel, Snatched. 

Kara, the main character, is an Orris girl - strong, sarcastic, and full of gumption. She's a seventeen year old military member who has just completed her first mission on the surface. Kara is an incredibly brave and serious soldier. Her focus is keeping her little sister safe. Especially since Lizzy is the only family she has left. Readers will connect with Kara through the book's point of view. Because everything focuses around Kara, readers will witness what Kara is fighting for. When Lizzy is snatched by the monster shifters, Kara is determined to do whatever it takes to get her little sister home safely. Her courage and loyalty play the biggest role in helping readers relate to Kara. 

The plot of the novel begins with Kara's first mission during which a shifter is spotted. Because of the sighting, another mission is immediately formed. Just before leaving for the mission, Lizzy is captured by the shifters. Kara keeps the news to herself and goes on the mission knowing that she'll find a way to track down, and save, her sister. Snatched is pretty fast-paced with the characters barely getting a moment of rest, though I felt like the timeline described in the novel didn't match up a few times. The writing style is horrifyingly detailed, especially the monster fighting sections, but became a bit repetitive. I felt like I was re-reading sentences every once in a while. Regardless, the book was absorbing. McIntyre does a good job creating a believable dystopian setting for the survive-and-rescue plot. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups