Book of the month - Year of the Flood

Picture it: the world as we know it no longer exists. It is now an empty place, destroyed by a pandemic that Atwood has dubbed the Waterless Flood. It is a world where gene spliced animals now roam free: animals like liobams (a lion and lamb hybrid) and Mo'Hairs (multi-coloured sheep used for growing hair replacements) and rakunks (raccoon and skunk hybrids).

In this devastation, two people have survived the Waterless Flood. Toby is holed up inside a health spa that catered to the rich. And Ren is locked inside a high end sex club. As they both fight the land and the animals in order to survive, they both reflect on their past life and how they got where they are now. Through a series of flashbacks, we're shown Ren and Toby's stories. We learn about the Gods Gardeners, a religious sect that preached love for everything, every plant and every animal. A religious sect that at once, separated themselves from regular life and was shunned by society at large.

My very condensed summary doesn’t come close to covering the entirety of the plot of The Year of the Flood. It is a novel of epic proportions, moving back and forth between past, present and future. There is no way I could convey to you everything that is in this novel. The Year of the Flood touches on so many subjects including a pandemic, religion, the environment, love, government, war…. At first glance there seems to be too much in The Year of the Flood, that Atwood has filled it too full. But it’s not too full; Atwood manages to pull it off and creates an incredible novel that speaks to the heart, to the mind and to the spirit.

Though the future she presents is grim, there is a dark humour present. Her characters are also incredibly realized and well developed. I cared about these people from the first page. It is almost impossible not to. I found this book terrifying, hilarious, and thought-provoking with scences so plausible they'll send chills down your spine. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart or those looking for a feel good read!