Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Oryx and Crake is the first book in the MaddAddam Trilogy, a story about the apocalypse. In usual Atwood fashion, we're dropped in the middle of the story as she takes us back in time to see how mankind was virtually wiped out, while also following the current timeline. Snowman used to to Jimmy, before the world ended. His best friend was Crake, who had another name as well. Crake is a brilliant, nihilistic scientist and Jimmy is an average guy who's pretty good with words. Oryx is an obsession, an imaginary person made real through the adolescent sexual escapades of Crake and Jimmy. When the world finally comes crashing down around them, Jimmy is the only one left alive, other than the Crakers, a new breed of humans created just before the end. With their help, Snowman must not just survive, but find something to live for.

Margaret Atwood brings her futuristic society to life brilliantly, but I feel she may overdo it a bit. She imagines a world where teenagers watch kiddie porn on a regular basis and barely flinch at snuff films of violent executions in foreign countries. As much as we'd like to deny it, we know girls like Oryx exist, with early childhood sexual trauma, but we don't expect it to be normalized. I really enjoyed Snowman's interactions with the Crakers, especially the mythologies he creates for them. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, but knowing Atwood it will be totally different than this one.

Note: This is my second reading of Oryx and Crake. I couldn't remember enough details to continue the series, so I thought I read the book when it was first published. It turns out I read it in January 2014, when I had a two-month-old frying my brain! (Thanks Goodreads for tracking my reading!)