Living With B

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Published by Nan A. Talese on September 10, 2019
Genre(s): Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction, Political Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Pages: 422
Format: Kindle
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The Handmaid’s Tale Review
The Testaments Trailer (Streaming on Hulu)

I read The Handmaid’s Tale and reviewed it a year or so ago, and although it might not have been the most impressive book I’ve ever read, it was gripping and told a story of a world that many women, including myself, fear. I remember making a post on Fable with the “Is this f**king play about us?” meme from Euphoria because it felt so close to home.

I knew about The Testaments and was just waiting for the moment I felt ready to jump back into the story—this time from the perspective of girls around my age and their journey through unfamiliar worlds while finding friendship and family.

Plot Details

We’re back in Gilead, the totalitarian country where The Handmaid’s Tale takes place. Nothing has really changed: Commanders are still ruling, Handmaids are still being passed from one house to another, and Marthas cook and take care of the home.

In The Testaments, however, our journey follows three women from different backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life—two from Gilead and one from Canada. One of them is a very important Aunt who is… well… not exactly liked. And honestly? That alone makes things interesting.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading this one! Although Gilead gives me intense anxiety, and the thought of being forced into that world is terrifying, I find these books so gripping. They genuinely keep me on my toes—I was hooked from the first page to the last.

I did find myself a little confused at first when switching POVs. I wasn’t sure who Agnes was, and my memory was basically nonexistent when it came to Aunt Lydia. But the more I read, the more everything started to click into place.

The Testaments isn’t a traditional sequel where we follow the same main character. Instead, it’s more like connected stories happening within the same universe. It kind of reminds me of how some romance series are structured right now—like the Maple Hills series that took over TikTok.

I loved that Atwood gave us a backstory for Aunt Lydia. Before she was this terrifying figure, she was a lawyer—someone respected—before being ripped from her life and thrown into one filled with torment and humiliation. Except… she was strong. And she became one of the founding figures of Ardua Hall.

You don’t have to read The Handmaid’s Tale first, but I would definitely recommend it. It gives you a much better understanding of how Gilead works instead of going in blind.

“As they say, history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”

Final Verdict