Following the real murder of a housekeeper and employer, Alias Grace is a fictional novel based on a very true story of Grace Marks and her involvement with the aforementioned murders. Written beautifully by Margaret Atwood- who is a celebrated author, and for good reason, this novel follows the young amnesia stricken Grace Marks and her journey to Canada. As the reader, you are told only as much as the main character knows- even from the perspective of other characters not much is revealed, as they also only know as much as the main character, and thus, reader does. The detail is nothing less than extraordinary, and the novel could have been brought to life without the Netflix series by the same name- which no, I have not watched yet. Mostly because the book itself featured colourful visual imagery that created real images in my head. It didn’t take long to finish this book, a week at most for avid readers. When you pick up this book you may not think much of it, you may even let it sit on your shelf for a few days. But once you read the first page, it is very hard to put it down as from the start Atwood has created tension for the reader on the very first page. 

         A long tragic journey, a troubled young girl, a dubious psychologist, and many lost memories- this book really does take you back to the 1840’s, when this was set. Would I recommend this book to everyone? No. I wouldn’t. Atwood did not hesitate to show the readers the harsh side of life, and though life may have been harder in the 1800’s, readers can tell how relevant this novel still is. If you are into Sci-Fi, Young Adult Fiction and Fantasy novels, I might not recommend this to you. But if you are looking for new genres to read, please pick this up! But, for readers who read many different genres, like me, you might find this book very pleasant and perhaps even change your perspective on life.