A delicious sequel to The Handmaid's Tale

⭑⭑⭑⭑  The Handmaid's Tale is a hot topic at the moment making the release of this sequel highly anticipated. I knew going in that it was told from the perspective of  three characters – Aunt Lydia, Agnes and Daisy. It works better, in this case, as it covers more ground than the single narrative provided by Offred in the original text.

Aunt Lydia's story is the best of the three, hands down. I love the direction taken with this controversial character and the ability to share her real thoughts on the inner workings in Gilead. I became a real fan with that insight, so much so I was gutted to part with her by book's end. Agnes, having only ever known life within the confines of Gilead, was second most interesting. Her belief structure and the struggles she faced heading toward adulthood, and all the difficulties that would arise, made her a character of note. She truly believed the dogma yet found her way to rebellion in small ways. She possessed a naive freshness that made her chapters ones I knew I would relish. Daisy was more cardboard for me as she was meant to be a weapon all wanted to control. I did not empathize with her, as the others, but could appreciate the necessity of her inclusion.

The Testaments isn't going to be the book you anticipate, few eagerly anticipated follow-on novels are, but it has terrific merit. Much of the story is predictable but the experience of viewing it through the eyes of three differently placed characters takes the story further and makes the journey one you are anxious to take too, as the reader. This is a great novel that ticks the boxes for lovers of the original book. Lovers of the tv series may find the lack of grit disappointing but that was never overtly spelled out but, rather, left to the imagination of the reader instead.