I do not often write reviews for the books that I've read, however, since I wrote such a rant for "Oryx and Crake", which was the first book about this world, I felt that I should comment on this one as well.

Since reading "Oryx and Crake," I've also read "The Handmaid's Tale," which I thought was -very- good, and which gave me far more faith in Margaret Atwood and the idea that she can write a bloody good book when she wants to. That, and my boyfriend's insistence that this book provides an ending to Jimmy/Snowman's story from "Oryx and Crake," is the reason that I finally got around to reading this book. And I have to say that I was not -completely- disappointed.

This book doesn't end, which is what I was promised before I read it, however it does provide some closure for "Oryx and Crake," albeit not all that much. However, "Year of the Flood" did provide a new perspective of the world Atwood created in "Oryx and Crake" through Toby and Ren. It was fun (fun seems too happy a word for this, but I can't think of a better one) to revisit the world that Atwood created with "Oryx and Crake," since it was so complex and fascinating. Also, "Year of the Flood" provides more of a look at God's Gardeners, who are really no more than mentioned in passing in "Oryx and Crake." "Year of the Flood" gave her previously created world more dimension and made it seem even more realistic and plausible. This plausibility makes it frightening and intense, and extremely interesting to read.

Overall, I have to say that I liked this book more than "Oryx and Crake," if only because maybe I'm beginning to get used to Atwood's writing style. However, to anyone who wants to read "Year of the Flood" I would definitely suggest that you finish "Oryx and Crake" first, because that order makes the most sense, I think.