I am torn between 2 or 3 stars because this book is not essential. It wasn't needed and didn't add anything to The Handmaid's Tale. I only enjoyed Aunt Lydia's narration, and the other two narrators did not surprise me in any way and felt their storylines were weak and, if anything, did not help Gilead at all.

I read this directly after rereading The Handmaid's Tale, so that was fresh in my mind. She should have stopped or just have had Aunt Lydia's story. This book shouldn't be called a sequel.