The questions posed by this book have gotten under my fingernails. Atwood's eerie "could this really happen?" imagining of a not-too-distance future in which genetic engineering is way too easy gives the perfect setting for not only an engaging story of two friends but also a high-level discussion of "should we, just because we can?"

The book was very slow to start, but I trusted Atwood enough not to get frustrated and eventually I became wowed by the control inherent in the structure. Reading the first 50 pages, you feel like a horse with blinders on because you want so badly to see what is just beyond your view. I found myself asking questions only a few pages before I discovered the answer. This was not coincidence but what happens when a master storyteller takes you by the hand and guides your attention purposefully from one small nuance to the next. Somewhat akin to how a filmmaker guides your eye. A little bit maddening, but it is what makes "the great reveal" so much more emotional in the end.