Nostalgic Friday: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

This week I am featuring The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It's a dystopian read that I discovered through my sister. She had to read it in high school and when my school never assigned it I got curious.

After a military coup creating the Republic of Gilead from the once powerful United States of America, inhabitants find themselves in a strict, domineering caste system based on the hell, fire, & brimstone from the Old Testament of the Bible. They believe that all their problems (rampant infertility, land deterioration, and an amoral society) can all be solved by returning to their close-minded roots.

What this means in practice for the men and women of Gilead is a complete overhaul of their social hierarchy as they know it. Now, your place in society is determined by your rank within the new infrastructure and the power you wield. Women are even lower in this caste system, as dictated by the ruling body and their twisted sense of ideology, and are subservient to the male figure in their life. While this isn't necessarily awful for most women, for those who belong to the "handmaid" class it is a nightmare. They are used for breeding purposes only, as if they were an animal.

This story is told from the point of view of Offred, a handmaid in Commander Fred's home. As a first generation handmaid, Offred knows what the world used to be like. She used to have a family, consisting of her, her husband, and their child. Now all she is solely cogniscent that it is her "duty and obligation" is to bear a child for the Commander and his barren wife Serena Joy. A mating ritual, involving all three participants, takes place monthly in the hopes of conception.

Offred moves about her daily routine often catching glimpses of things hinting at the existence of a resistance. She is shocked to discover who all is involved. And when the times comes for her to make a decision, she moves with fluidity in her chosen direction.

A shocking and scandalizing tale, this book was a bewitching read. I found myself imagining what it would be like to be in Offred's shoes more often than I wanted to. Her life was quite a miserable existence, but she maintained hope. She clung to memories in her darkest hours and pushed on with life.

It's truly a book about feminism in that the main character is a female fighting in a patriarchal and orthodox society. Her strength and courage is a testament to the power that resides in all of us. We just have to call on it. A mesmerizing read that most will find haunting and captivating, The Handmaid's Tale is a classic.

Nostalgic Friday: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Ruby can take care of herself. At least that was the ruse she kept up for a few months after her mother disappeared, again. Only this time her mother was gone longer than usual. So Ruby decided that she would continue her existence as if nothing was wrong. Well, that only lasted so long. Now she finds herself being forced to live with her older sister Cora that Ruby had pretty much forgotten all about.

Ruby moves to Cora's house, a.k.a. mini-mansion, from the foster facility and is astonished to discover what her sister has been up to in Ruby's absence. Cora has obtained a college degree, gotten married, and is living the life that Ruby always dreamed about; but she feels out of place. So as soon as she believes the happy couple to be asleep, Ruby slips out of the house and tries to make a daring escape over the fence into the neighbor's yard. To her utter surprise though, she winds up face to face with Nate, the swimming phenomenon hottie. Now it doesn't seem like such a terrible idea to stick around.

While she begins adjusting to life in a new private school and attempting to rekindle her relationship with her sister, Ruby is constantly returning to her old habits and clinging to her independence fiercely. Over time, she learns the hard way that sometimes in order to gain that which you most desire, you have to let others help you.

A charming, captivating novel, Lock and Key is par for the course for Sarah Dessen. Ruby is tough young woman who I found very easy to relate to throughout her story. Many teens go through a stage of rebellion, especially when an authority figure is attempting to tell them what is best. I found Cora, and to an extent her husband Jamie, to be prime examples of those who really do want the very best for their loved one. Even though I found the "love story" aspect a little overdone (I seem to be reading a lot of next-door-love stories), the character of Nate was a spot-on reminder of a teen boy. This was a really great, fun read and I'm hoping to read more of her in the near future!

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Oscar is the perfect example of what a Candor kid should be. He has the best grades, is active in his community, is a role-model and always willing to help. Too bad it's all an act.

After a childhood accident caused his family to break up, Oscar's father was determined to create the perfect existence. That's where the Messages came into play. They are just self affirmations, but they are played in the background of everyday life all the time. They're in the grocery store, in school, in the bushes, even in the houses. You can't help but follow the simple instructions like, "The great are never late" and "Personal space in every place." Families pay big bucks and sit on a waiting list, hoping to be allowed to join this exclusive community and fix their "problems."

A lot of those "problems" look and sound like Nia. She is the prime example of what Candor is trying to fix. She is artistic (read free-thinking), rebellious (read self-sufficient), mouthy (really, what teen isn't?). Oscar, being the perfect Candor kid that he is, decides to introduce himself to his potential new client. See, Oscar has a few tricks up his sleeve as he knows how to create Messages that combat those of his father and he knows how to get you out. Only, Nia seems different. Oscar is intrigued by her and decides to keep quiet a bit longer than normal because he doesn't just see her as a client. Time is running out though and Oscar has some major decisions to make.

Candor was quick-paced and intriguing. A form of mind-control through subliminal messaging that doesn't usually lend well to reading was used quite adeptly in this book. Bachorz made the messages fun and catchy, giving them all the more credibility when you hear yourself repeating them after you've put the book down (true story, I actually did this). I found the characters very dynamic in that there are those who represent a rebellious "leader," a follower, a flake, and a victim. In a way, the whole story actually sounds plausible and reminds me of the exclusive "McMansion" neighborhoods I see in hip, urban areas. Think The Stepford Wives doing car-wash fundraisers mixed with Ferris Bueller suave and you've got Candor. Great read!

Candor by Pam Bachorz