The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I can't say I really "liked" The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood- it was a little too horrifying for that description- but it was a very good book. I have enjoyed even more (is enjoyed the right word? I can't decide.) the Hulu series by the same name. It is even more horrifying than the book, but in the best way possible. I was thrilled when the long-awaited sequel The Testaments arrived on the library hold shelf for me. How would Atwood address the world of Gilead fifteen years after the events of the first book? Would it be like the book or like the series? Would it be as good?

Those questions have some interesting answers. The first is easy: June's first daughter has grown up in Gilead society and is fully immersed in the culture and religion. She has reached marriageable age and her choices are extremely limited. June's second daughter has been hiding in Canada and is just learning her true identity. And finally, we get to hear Aunt Lydia's side of the story. As much as I have grown to hate Aunt Lydia from the Hulu series, there is also something I really like about her. Maybe it is just that she is such a well-written character, but you can't argue that she isn't interesting.

The second question is a little more challenging: my memories of the original book are clouded over with those of the series, but I think this book has more information that we learned in the series (understandable since Atwood assisted with the screenwriting). Like the original book, this one is written as three different records submitted as testimony and discovered by archeologists not long after the symposium detailed at the end of the first book.

And finally, was this book as good as the first? Sadly, I don't think it was. The first book was harsh and painful to read and full of the dystopia of Gilead. This book felt much softer and almost a little YA-ish. Two of the perspectives are of young women, but there was also something about the writing that didn't seem as polished or as strong as I would expect from such an experienced writer. My attention was hooked; I couldn't wait to find out what would happen; there were moments of excitement, but it wasn't quite enough. There just wasn't as much meat, as much substance, in this book. Certainly, it is worth reading, but it isn't quite what I thought it would be.