The Year of the Flood

by Margaret Atwood
The Year of the Flood cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
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  • ID: 4999
  • Added: 2025-10-22
  • Updated: 2025-10-24
  • ISBN: 9780307398925
  • Publisher: Vintage Canada
  • Published: 2010-07-27
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

The Year of the Flood is the second book in Margaret Atwood's acclaimed MaddAddam trilogy, set in the same visionary world as Oryx and Crake. The story follows Ren, a young trapeze dancer trapped in a high-end sex club, and Toby, a member of the eco-religious group God's Gardeners, who is barricaded in a luxurious spa. As they face the aftermath of a devastating flood predicted by their leader, Adam One, they must decide how to proceed in a world that has been irrevocably altered. The novel explores themes of survival, friendship, and the intersection of science and religion, all while painting a vivid picture of a future that is both terrifying and thought-provoking. /n/n Atwood's signature speculative fiction style shines in this novel, blending elements of dystopian and post-apocalyptic genres with a deep exploration of human nature and societal structures. The Year of the Flood is a compelling and timely exploration of what it means to be human in a world on the brink of collapse.

Reviews
Reader's High Tea · 2021-06-30
compelling 4.50

The focus on the God's Gardeners community highlights the book's strong environmental themes. The story is engaging and thought-provoking, with a unique perspective on survival and community.

Reader's High Tea focuses on the God's Gardeners, a peaceful self-sustaining community that is central to the story. The reviewer finds the book's environmental themes to be compelling and well-explored. The story is engaging and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective on survival and community. The reviewer appreciates the depth of the characters and the richness of the world-building, making it a standout in Atwood's dystopian series.

Quick quotes

    The Year of the Flood focuses on a group called the God's Gardeners. They are a peaceful self-sustaining community, with strong focus on environmental topics.

    The story is engaging and thought-provoking, with a unique perspective on survival and community.

    The book's environmental themes are compelling and well-explored, making it a standout in Atwood's dystopian series.

Mookse and Gripes · Andrew · 2009-09-30
engaging 4.25

The plot is engaging due to its structure, which keeps the mysteries alive. The book is well-written and offers a fuller view of the world.

Andrew from Mookse and Gripes finds the plot of 'The Year of the Flood' engaging due to its structure, which keeps the mysteries alive. The reviewer appreciates the well-written narrative and the fuller view of the world that the book provides. The story is engaging and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective on survival and community. The reviewer notes that the book is a worthy follow-up to 'Oryx and Crake', with a richly detailed world and compelling characters.

Quick quotes

    The plot itself is engaging only because its structure keeps the mysteries alive.

    This is a structure we've seen in other Atwood novels, so it feels familiar yet fresh.

    Taken together, the books also give a fuller view of the world, and help to explain some of the mysteries of the plot.

The Guardian · Stephen Amidon · 2009-08-28
thought-provoking 4.00

The book is less satirical and more painful, offering a deeper exploration of its themes. The tone is more somber, focusing on the environmental and social issues within the story.

Stephen Amidon notes that 'The Year of the Flood' is less satirical and more painful compared to some of Atwood's other works. The book delves into the environmental and social issues of its dystopian world with a more somber tone. Amidon appreciates the depth of the characters and the thought-provoking themes, but finds the book's tone to be more serious and less playful. The story's focus on the God's Gardeners and their struggle for survival adds a layer of complexity that resonates with readers.

Quick quotes

    The Year of the Flood is less satirical in tone, less of an intellectual exercise, less scathing though more painful.

    The book is a more somber exploration of its themes, focusing on the environmental and social issues within the story.

    Atwood's characters are deeply drawn, and the themes are thought-provoking, but the tone is more serious and less playful.

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