Another great book by Atwood The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood is an excellent read. I have enjoyed Atwood's books ever since first reading The Handmaid's Tale. This is another futuristic novel that follows the same time period as Atwood's previous novel Oryx and Crake. I found the book very interesting in the way Atwood used two characters to tell the story. Ren is a teenager/young adult through much of the story while Toby is a more mature responsible adult. You get to see events happen through both of these points of view. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading.
Rated of 5
by Donna M. (Plymouth, MN)
Dystopic Sci Fi that hits close too home
I enjoyed this book immensely. I would recommend reading "Oryx and Crake" before trying this book. When I first read "Oryx and Crake," for which "The Year of the Flood" is a sequel, I thought it was an appealingly silly vision of a dystopic future. But after reading "The Year of the Flood," it no longer sounds silly, it sounds like some of the events in the book could really happen. If you liked "Brave New World," "The Road," or "We," you would probably enjoy this book.
Rated of 5
by Lesley F. (San Diego, CA)
An Atwood Gardener Sings Praises
I loved The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. With The Year of the Flood I was hooked again by the strong women. A little science fiction, with its mystery and danger, and many Biblical references that are at turns dead on, ironic, or hilarious, made this great fun to read. I loved the references to Saints Jane, Terry, and Farley. I want the soundtrack from the Gardeners' Oral Hymnbook and the edition of "Lives of the Saints", both sure to come out as the following grows.
Rated of 5
by Ann C. (Roswell, GA)
The Year of the Flood
Margaret Atwood's new novel The Year of the Flood is a gripping, chilling, and uncomfortably believable account of a post-apocalyptic world where humankind has engineered its own demise as well as the destruction of the natural environment. It appears that only two humans survive, both female : Ren , a young sex club worker and trapeze artist, and Toby, a God's Gardner - a member of a religious group devoted to preserving the environment.
This book is set in the same dystopian future as Atwood's Oryx and Crake and there are several characters who appear in both books. The quest undertaken by Toby and Ren to see if others have survived the disaster reminded me of the harrowing journey in Cornac McCarthy's The Road. Gene-spliced life forms may seem futuristic to the current reader, but Atwood's use of scientific detail and vividly descriptive prose give the story an immediacy that makes it ultimately believable. And frightening. And, even humorous in some places. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends and to my book club
Rated of 5
by Zoe B. (Naperville, IL)
Dystopian Hopefullness
Margaret Atwood is so in tune with scientific and environmental issues she manages to write futuristic books that could be reality tomorrow. Expanding on her world created in "Oryx and Crake', she tells a parallel story of the people left in the outside world after the "waterless flood". Rather than conveying a sense of hopelessness and despair in this distopia, her characters are interesting, hopeful and even amusing at times. Atwood is an amazing author.
Rated of 5
by Jill S. (Chicago, IL)
A Roller Coaster Ride Into A Post-Apocalyptic World The Year of the Flood may not be for everyone. It definitely falls into the category of dystopian future lit. But thanks to Margaret Atwood's visionary powers, clever use of words, and inventive plot, the book soars above other books of this nature. The interspersed themes are important ones: a global pandemic, the delicate nature of our ecosystem, the imaginary proliferation of gene-spliced life forms, the melding of science and religion, the nature of survival. And ultimately, Atwood leaves the reader with a glimpse of hope. Recommended!
Rated of 5
by Patricia M. (Highland Heights, OH)
The Year of the Flood The Year of the Flood is an interesting look at what would happen if there was a Flood that did not involve water and yet wiped out most of the people on earth. It looks at a variety of issues that would affect the future earth including bioengineering of plants and animals. It is an excellent portrayal of what might be. Science fiction fans will love the future world that is presented. The difficulty is that being able to picture in your mind the genetically spliced animals can become a problem with the way the reader “sees” what he or she is reading. This would be a great movie.
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