My main reading course is speculative fiction, and Atwood's books in that genre is what brought me to this book. I recognise that a good story is not its setting, but its narrative and character portrayal, and Atwood proves that with Alias Grace, beyond a doubt. 
 Margaret Atwood is a brilliant writer, who in my mind can make any story fascinating. In Alias Grace, she does so with powerful characterisation and a solid, believable journey into 19th-century colonial life. The story has a slow pace but is never boring. The voices of the characters are strong and engaging, particularly that of Grace herself. 
 (I feel the below quote is ambiguous enough to not spoil the book, but you might save it until after you read, just in case. Because you should read Alias Grace.) 
 (view spoiler)[ And then she began to cry, and when I asked her why she was doing that, she said it was because I was to have a happy ending, and it was just like a book; and I wondered what books she'd been reading. (hide spoiler)]