Book Review: Grace
Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.
Told in spare, powerful prose, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they’ve reached the final page.
–From Goodreads
What struck me most about this cover was the haunting look on that woman’s face. She looks as though the world has been torn out from under her. Perfect cover for this book.
First Thoughts:
The book opens with Grace worrying over the dye in her hair, and whether it is evident that she’s hiding its true color. As she described her situation, I was pulled in line by line.
***
My Review:
As a long time reader of Elizabeth Scott’s books (and now a re-reader of them since I’m older), I have to say that the premise of this book both intrigued me and threw me off at the same time. I’m used to the light-hearted romances that I’ve read in the past. Sure, in those novels bad things may happen, but they are always resolved happily at the end. Suffice it to say, I wasn’t sure what I should be expecting when I opened this book and started to read.
We first meet Grace riding on a train to an unknown destination. She is hot, nervous and fussing over her very recently dyed hair. I was immediately drawn to her character because of the innocence that was there beneath her stoic exterior. Although she was trying to be brave you could see the young girl that was hiding inside, terrified of being discovered. We learn that Grace was an angel of death. Her whole life was devoted to planning for the moment that she would die, and take her intended target with her. What her people didn’t know was this: Grace would choose to live. Cast out and alone, Grace decides to take a chance on escaping her old life and creating a new one somewhere else.
This entire book is one huge roller coaster ride of emotions. There are portions of the story where I was so deeply in shock over what was going on in the pages, that I’m fairly sure my mouth was literally hanging open. I’ve studied history. I know the wrongs that people are capable of doing to one another with little or no reason behind them. I know what one person can brainwash and lead the masses. Still, portions of this book brought that all back to me in vivid color. Grace is written so lyrically, that even the gritty parts of the story simply flow off the page. I was in awe.
I really did love reading Grace. Although it wasn’t what I’d normally expect from Elizabeth Scott, I shouldn’t have worried one bit. Her writing prowess, her style, her vivid characters, they were all still there. The only addition was this new dystopian world, and I was happy to get lost in it. I wish I could more aptly express my love for this book, but unfortunately it’s difficult to do without giving too much away. The fact remains that this book is hauntingly beautiful.
I highly recommend this as a read! Go in with an open mind, and get lost in the world of Grace.
Book Details
Title: Grace
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: Hardcover; 208
Source: One ARC Tours
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Final Rating: 4 Keys to My Heart
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