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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Theocratic violence; sexual violence referenced; the reality of Gilead's control depicted throughout
Language
Some
Moderate adult language throughout
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual content referenced rather than depicted; the novel's premise involves systematic sexual slavery
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The sustained psychological weight of a society designed to break women and what it takes to resist it from the inside
What this book is about
Margaret Atwood's Booker Prize-winning sequel to The Handmaid's Tale tells the story of Gilead's eventual downfall from three perspectives: a young woman in Gilead, a girl in Canada who grew up on the other side, and—most devastatingly—Aunt Lydia, the most powerful woman in Gilead, who has been keeping records. Essential and satisfying.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Sexual slavery as the novel's context
Violence of theocratic oppression throughout
Reader Verification
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