For all those Hulu fans out there, I recently had the pleasure of reading Margaret Atwood’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale – The Testaments. Now, what intrigued me the most about this read, besides the fact that the general premise of The Handmaid’s Tale is both fascinating and timely, is that it was written 34 years after the original AND after 3 seasons of a very popular TV remake. A remake, by the way, that goes well beyond the original story. So going into this read I had a few key questions. Set 15 years after the first book – which translates to 15 years after season 1 of the Hulu original – the story follows a young woman living in Canada, a young woman born and raised in Gilead, and an unidentified (at the beginning at least) Aunt. I wondered primarily how the story lines in the two seasons that go beyond the original story line would affect this new story. While it is set after the events of the latest season – how would those continued stories be incorporated into this new one? Could you read The Testaments without having watched the entire show (I only made it through the first 2 seasons)? 
To answer the easiest question first – yes, you can read The Testaments having solely read the book or watched the first season. You do not need to be caught up with the rest of the series for it to make sense; however, it does help. Really, you should at least watch all of season 2 to really get the full impact of the new book. That being said, I thought this was a fun read, but it was definitely written as a gift to fans. Atwood is a fantastic writer, so no matter what, I knew going in that it would be a great read. However, the story was just tired. There wasn’t anything really new and exciting, only a deeper look into a world we’ve already been introduced to. There are a few shocking moments, and of course lots of cringe worthy ones, but certainly it wasn’t worth the accolades it received.
Which brings me to my next point – how on EARTH did The Testaments, which was really just a sequel to a hit Hulu series, get awarded the 2019 Booker Prize?! Sure, I understand how it garnered enough support for the Goodreads Choice Award, but the Booker Prize?! For those who don’t know, who was also me until I started seeing people ranting about this very topic, the Booker Prize is an award for the best original novel published in the United Kingdom. And my biggest issue, really – because I did enjoy the book, is that I’m not sure if The Testaments truly qualifies as an original. Yes, technically it is a new story, but it’s a sequel to both its original book AND a new television series! You tell me… but that seems a bit fishy…
All in all, I would highly recommend The Testaments if you’re a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale (book or TV show). I’m not sure it deserved all the hype, but I enjoyed reading it.
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