The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood

Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Attwood
Pages: 311
Genre: Dystopian, Classic, Science- Fiction
Book Description:
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...

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My Opinion:
This is a dystopian novel written in a time where woman have no control over their bodies and are only valued on their ability to reproduce. Attwood's feminist values are so important and I'm really pleased to have finally gotten round to reading it.

Dystopians are some of my favourite genres to read and this one was fantastic. The world created here was unusual and very well written, involving principles that are still relevant and, unfortunately, occurring to this day.

I loved the main character, Offred. Her strong and independent attitude inspires me because despite the horrific situation she finds herself trapped in, she still has hope. The commander was another interesting character, with similar traits to Offred. It was disgusting to hear what he had to do and his role in society at the beginning and I disliked him greatly, but as the novel progressed, this changed and I felt myself sympathising with him a little bit. This wasn't something I expected was going to happen.

Similarly, the story line was unexpected and I was constantly hooked. At the beginning I was very intrigued as I wanted to find out more about the society the novel was set, and this stayed the entire way through, perhaps due to the unpredictable twists throughout! There were flashbacks that explained Offred's past life with her husband and child which I enjoyed hearing about since I was able to see just how drastically everything had changed.
The ending was left ambiguously which I thought was a good trait since it allowed us, as readers, to decide what happened to Offred.

This powerful topic is still relevant today and, with myself being a feminist, I believe that everyone should read this. It's intriguing and the almost all of the characters end up surprising you at some point. Definitely worth a read!

Favourite Quotes:

But who can remember pain, once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind

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You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself

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But people will do anything rather than admit that their lives have no meaning. No use, that is. No plot

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I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I am not; I want to be more than valuable. I repeat my former name; remind myself of what I once could do, how others saw me

Rating ★★★★

4 out of 5 stars 

 Next book I'm going to review:
DNA by Dennis Kelly

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Title: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Pages: 371
Genre: Contemporary, Historical
Book Description:
Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

Get it here | Good reads

My Opinion:
This was a fantastic novel about youth, travel and most importantly, the shared love between two friends. In this, we follow Amir's journey as he tries to right his wrongs from childhood. I started reading this on a 3 hour train journey and ended up finishing it that evening! 

I was hooked the entire way through reading this. My favourite factor was the characters because they felt very real to me. Hassan is so innocent and caring while Amir is determined and broken. The two of them together have such a strong bond that's almost unbreakable.

The plot line was extremely powerful. There was foreshadowing to the events and when I finally discovered these I was shocked. They were heartbreaking. Amir's actions were unforgivable however I was pleased that he spent the rest of the novel trying to fix his mistakes.

Hosseini's use of imagery provides a realistic element to this novel. He has a moving way of describing the settings, characters and their actions. Everything flows really well and it was a pleasure to read. The cultural aspects were fascinating since I knew little about the lifestyle here in Afghanistan.

This is definitely worth a read if you're interested in learning about new cultures and friendship. There is constant intrigue and mystery running through this, as well as the powerful and devastating consequences.

Favourite Quotes:

For you, a thousand times over

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Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors

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There is only one sin. and that is theft... when you tell a lie, you steal someones right to the truth

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People say that eyes are windows to the soul

Rating ★★★★★

5 out of 5 stars 

 Next book I'm going to review:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood

Room by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Pages: 321
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological, Mystery
Book Description:
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

Get it here | Good reads

My Opinion:
I read this book a while ago and wanted to read it again since the film has just come out (which looks so good!) It was just as fantastic as I remembered it, following the story of Jack and his mother, who was kidnapped and fell pregnant.

This was such an interesting read. The blurb really drew me in since there aren't many books written about this topic and in the perspective of a 5 year old boy. I enjoyed hearing the child's point of view and trying to understand what it was like for him to think that this Room is the entire world and for it to actually not be. It was a really believable narrative, for example, giving names to all of the furniture since this is something a child would do!

I also liked how we as an audience got to see what it was like for the characters inside the room and in the real world again. It was especially fascinating watching how Jack coped with this, as well as the mother since she's going back into a world/society that she hasn't been a part of for seven years and is likely to have changed a great deal. Getting used to that must be a struggle which I was glad to read about.

This read has been an emotional journey of self discovery. It just goes to show that happiness isn't all it seems, which is certainly relevant when the two characters escape. I thought that the writing style was so unique and the character development was so realistic and inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Room and would definitely recommend it!


Favourite Quotes:

Everybody's damaged by something

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People move around so much in the world, things get lost

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'Scared is what you're feeling,' says Ma, 'but brave is what you're doing.'

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When I tell her what I’m thinking and she tells me what she’s thinking, our each ideas jumping into the other’s head, like colouring blue crayon on top of yellow that makes green.

Rating ★★★★★

5 out of 5 stars 

As I said at the beginning, the film has just been released! It looks really good and I know it's Oscar nominated so I can't wait to watch it. 

If you've seen the film or read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts:) Here's the trailer for the film:

 Next book I'm going to review:
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Pages: 324 
Genre: Classic, Historical
Book Description:
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior—to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

Get it here | Good reads

My Opinion:
When I heard about the release of 'Go set a Watchman,' (the sequel to this) I knew I had to read it! Some people in my school did this at GCSE for literature however I studied different books.

I have to say that is one of the most remarkable classics I've read for a while. Set in the 1960s, we follow the lives of Scout and Jem Finch as they make their small neighbourhood exciting. This fun all turns when their father decides to stand up against a black man who has been charged for a serious crime.

This story line is really well written. Filled with humour and happiness, comfort and sadness, this has something for everyone. The court scene, which was towards the ending of the novel was really interesting and I was hooked the entire way through. Finding out what really happened, added a mystery to the novel which is something I always love; causing me to read the book in less than 2 days!

Although it's a classic, the writing is understandable and follows the perspective of a child, which isn't common in many books today. It's nice to read something that's more unique. 

Now, the characters! The children were such lovely characters with each their own distinct traits. Scout made me giggle a lot, especially the scene with her halloween costume!
Atticus Finch, however, was phenomenal. He had such a lovely personality and followed strong morals. I felt that he was a fantastic father figure to Jem and Scout and, despite the racism during the time period, still stood up for what was right. I do believe him to be one of my favourite book characters of all time!

To finish, this was absolutely fantastic! With an intriguing plot line focusing on serious issues during that time and, to some extent, today, this is definitely a must-read classic. I felt very educated afterward and hope to read the sequel soon:)

Favourite Quotes:

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it

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Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing

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Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird

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Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin'

Rating ★★★★★

5 out of 5 stars 

After reading this novel, which I have to say is now one of my favourite books ever, I'm going to watch the 1960s film version. It's completely in black and white which just makes the experience of watching classic books as films even more authentic! Plus the actor that plays Finch was fantastic in his day so I already know it's going to be great:)

 Next book I'm going to review:

Room by Emma Donoghue