For 80% of this novel I was sure it was going to be a 5-star-er.

I thought about it when I was at work. I told my boyfriend about it when another horrifying part was revealed. I Googled it and found some recent articles written about the author about writing this book (and then stopped reading them halfway through to avoid spoilers). These are all signs that I'm in love with a book.

BUT I didn't like the beginning and I didn't like end. There was too much guesswork and I also found the timeline just a little too confusing (and I'm totally comfortable with guesswork and confusion at any stage in a book).

Other reviewers will explain better than me what The Handmaid's Tale is all about and you SHOULD read this, at least once in your lifetime. I'm so glad I read it and look forward to reading it again in the future, when hopefully it is still a frightening dystopian fantasy.