Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A good read - highly topical and something that you should pick up if you haven't already done so. Lots of people on my Creative Writing course at university loved this book, but it passed me by at the time. I've been reading this alongside watching the TV series, but I have to say, I think the TV series is better, in my opinion. This reads very much like a memoir or inner monologue, and lacks action - something that there is plenty of in the show (I'm not talking 'guns blazing,' just a bit more going on).
The language is beautiful and masterfully written. It's a good insight into the mind of Offred and the world of Gilead; what I found a bit disappointing was the ending. You'd gone all the way through it and then it just comes to a stop...I wanted more, which I suppose is good for a story. However, it left me unsatisfied. It also seemed somewhat rushed, with the endings of certain characters (no spoilers, I promise) summed up in one line e.g. "and then this happened, the end."
Overall, I would definitely recommend having a read of this. It just wasn't quite what I expected. Whilst it endeared you to the main character and her plight (of which you just had to be sympathetic - no-one can imagine being in that kind of situation!), I think it could've shown more of what was going on in the world as a whole, despite perhaps her limited perspective.