The Year of the Flood (310-431)

Wow, I’m really glad I continued to read the book despite all the fibers of my being telling me to put it aside. This last section basically addressed all my issues that pertained to the previous section. Almost all events from page 310 and on were in Year 25 (the post-Flood world) and the action really started to heat up. However, I'm sad to say this may be my last post forever… so let’s make it a good one!

If I didn’t know better, I’d think that this section was a whole new book in itself. It went from a seemingly uneventful novel to an action-packed zombie apocalypse type story. With gruesome descriptions such as “decaying cloth and decaying flesh all simmering together” (Atwood 382) and “his head is thrown back, too far because his throat has been cut; crows flap around his head, scrabbling for footholds” (Atwood 376), the book really had an air similar to World War Z and The Walking Dead; a desolate wasteland with very few survivors, trying to escape the infected. It reminded me a lot of this scene from World War Z.

Another part I enjoyed was Toby’s ruthlessness near the end of the novel. Despite her being a high member of a religious cult that did not approve of murder, Toby still murders Blanco as “she fills the bottle up with Poppy and adds a generous drop of powdered amanitas for good measure” (Atwood 380). I think Toby's savagery really conveys Atwood’s thoughts and opinion regarding religion. No matter how religious one may be, human instinct is still the primary factor controlling the human mind. Obviously, I don’t blame her for what she did. With all the cruel stuff Blanco had done not only to Toby, but to everyone, he really got what he deserved.

Even through fully murdering someone, Toby is still the same role model she was before the Flood. When they meet the painballers, Ren thinks “why doesn’t she just kill them? Then [she thinks], she’s old Gardener - she can’t do it, not in cold blood. It’s against her religion” (Atwood 418), while fully unaware Toby is already past that stage. Toby does a great job not letting Ren know what she did. Now I definitely found the following part pretty unrealistic. Painballers are supposed to be the worst of the worst. They’re like winners of the Hunger Games, yet they’re easily killed by Amanda who’s “only skin and bones” (Atwood 416) and Toby who’s “like a walking skeleton” (Atwood 419). I would’ve expected much better resistance out of these two painballers. But alas, they're downed by two good kicks from Amanda right in the nuts.

Although I previously said Toby and Ren were the only God’s Gardeners left alive, it turns out I was wrong. There were way more survivors than I previously expected, such as Amanda and Zeb. Now the most surprising person to be alive had to be Adam One. He doesn’t really get much dialog with anyone, but we do see him doing what he does best, talking. At one point, he announces “that if we must sacrifice our own protein so it may circulate among our fellow Species, we will recognize the sacred nature of the transaction” (Atwood 347). Once again, this seems like Atwood voicing her stance on religion. Even though Adam one is the leader of a vegan cult, he states that even cannibalism is permitted if it’s for the purpose of survival. In this post-apocalyptic world, even Adam One follows his natural human instinct of survival.

And finally, we’re at the end. This book was significantly harder to relate with compared to The Namesake, given that I’m not religious, vegetarian and have definitely never been part of a pandemic wiping out half the world. However, I can definitely say that I enjoyed this book much more than I thought from the beginning. Although some parts were quite dreadful, the ending really finished strong. The book is even set up perfectly for a sequel with “the flickering of their torches, winding towards [them] through the darkness of the trees. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would still recommend it to a more mature audience. How did you guys find the book now that we’re done?

Works Cited

Giphy. “How I Met Your Mother Yes GIF.” GIPHY, GIPHY, 1 Nov. 2017, giphy.com/gifs/how-i-met-your-mother-yes-thumbs-up-3WY8qMF9l3ldK.

Attah, Tobe. “Steven Adams Utilizes The Most Bizarre Technique When Practicing Free Throws.” ClutchPoints, 29 July 2017, clutchpoints.com/steven-adams-practices-free-throws-assistant-coach-punching-him-least-expects-it/.

Giphy. “Thats All Folks GIF.” GIPHY, GIPHY, 16 June 2017, giphy.com/gifs/thats-all-folks-upg0i1m4DLe5q.