Grace [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Scott (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 16, 2010

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 by acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they've reached the final page.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up–In a possible future, Grace is an Angel, training to be a suicide bomber for the People, a group of rebels who fight against the totalitarian regime of Keran Berj. While the boys fight as Rorys, or soldiers, certain girls are offered as sacrifices to the cause. But Grace is different: she doesn't want to be a sacrifice. So, on the day she is to kill herself, she instead sets off the bomb and escapes. Now she is riding on a train, disguised as the sister of a mysterious boy named Kerr, and on her way to the border and possible freedom. But the threat of discovery is always there, and Grace knows that her fragile disguise could fail at any moment. This is a terse, tight, powerful book that's heavy on atmosphere. The beginning is written as a series of flashbacks, and it's through them that readers get a somewhat confused, disjointed view of events. It is only in the latter third of the book, once the story focuses more on Grace and her relationship with Kerr, that the action moves more steadily and clearly and she comes into her own. It is during this part that Scott's writing shines as Grace questions whether purposely killing people is ever right, even if it is done in the name of freedom. Give this novel to fans of dystopias who want darker visions than Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008).–Necia Blundy, Marlborough Public Library, MAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Although it’s never quite clear whether this is set in another world or a near future in ours, the parallels Scott (Living Dead Girl, 2008) strives for are patently evident. Grace was raised by the People to become an Angel, a girl whose single purpose in life is to strap on a bomb and blow up a chunk of disputed leader Keran Berj’s society. When Grace balks at the last moment and disgracefully survives the explosion, she attempts to flee the country along with another obviously haunted boy. The book takes place, with flashbacks, on the grueling train ride to the border, as the two evade the suspicions of guards and tentatively draw out each other’s shameful secrets. In all, it’s a fairly one-note affair: choose life, however hard, over an idealistic death. Surprisingly, this lacks a climax, but the terse writing effectively portrays Grace’s harrowing inner turmoil as it speaks to the part of the psyche that wonders how a person could willingly become a walking bomb. Grades 9-12. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1 edition (September 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525422064
• ISBN-13: 978-0525422068
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,534,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hey there, I'm Elizabeth. I write young adult novels. I've had a bunch of jobs over the years--I've sold pantyhose, hardware, and once spent three days burning cds during the dot.com boom (worst. job. ever.)--but hands down, writing is the best! You can read lots more about my books at my website, http://www.elizabethwrites.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Scott's best book thus far September 16, 2010

By The Compulsive Reader VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Grace has been trained her entire life to become a suicide bomber for her people in order to make a statement against the harsh rule of dictator Keran Berj. But when her ultimate mission fails and she chooses life over death by bomb, Grace is forced to flee on a train, the only way out of Keran Berj's land, with a stranger--a young man named Kerr. Throughout the long hours riddled with fear and uncertainty, Grace and Kerr revisit the past events that have brought them together, and discover what life and freedom are worth.

Elizabeth Scott's latest novel is haunting and horrific, and yet despite how foreign Grace's situation seems, readers will be able to find elements of our own world in this novel: the terrorism, dictatorships, the suicide bombers, and the conviction that people have for their beliefs, no matter how erroneous they may be. Though the first couple of chapters are a bit vague, the pieces quickly fall into place and Grace's life becomes clearer as the book moves quickly forward, bouncing back and forth between her past and training for her death, and Grace's time spent on the train fleeing. Though her escape seems clearly defined and straightforward, Scott does throw in a few unexpected twists to keep you on your toes and always wondering who can be trusted.

Despite the terrible and shocking nature of Grace and Kerr's world, Grace is a beautiful story of how two different people from two very different backgrounds learn to see each other for who they really are and are able to look past the stereotypes of their pasts and people to come together and find a common goal: discovering the purpose of life, achieving freedom, redemption, and ultimately, grace.

This is by far Scott's most powerful and galvanizing book yet, proving her to be a flexible and exceedingly talented writer. Grace is a book that demands to be devoured in one sitting, but read time and time again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly beautiful May 26, 2011

By Heather ORoark

Format:Hardcover

Elizabeth Scott has done it again. What amazes me about her is that she writes hugely different books - both YA romances and also much more serious books like this one and Living Dead Girl - but no matter what the topics of her books are, they are always excellent. Her writing flows beautifully and her stories spill across the page in a way that makes it impossible for me to put her books down. I can't possibly give a better compliment than that.

Grace is a short novel, but it's an incredibly powerful one. The writing is stark and left me sort of breathless, as I couldn't believe the kinds of things Grace was experiencing and living through. Elizabeth Scott lays it all out there, this one girl's entirely sad and depressing life, in a way that made me believe it completely. Grace as a character was honest, raw, and incredibly realistic - her situation may not have been all that realistic, but the way she reacted to it was. She was in this insanely abnormal situation but still thought about things just like any other teenager would. It was chilling.

If I have one complaint about this novel it is that the world Grace lives in was not fleshed out enough for me. I wanted more - more information, more background, more knowledge about how the People came to be, how the totalitarian regime took power, what life was really like there, etc. I understand that's not where Scott was going with the book, but for me personally I would have loved to know more about this world she created.

Grace is an absolutely breathtaking novel, one that will leave you heartbroken but ultimately illustrates the power of going your own way, of making your own decisions in the midst of having no real choice about anything. I have yet to dislike anything Elizabeth Scott has written and I believe I will attempt to read her entire backlist - her writing is just beyond.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars GreenBeanTeenQueen Reviews October 5, 2010

By GreenBeanTeenQueen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

About the Book: Grace was raised to be an angel-a suicide bomber who would honor her mission. But Grace can't die for the cause so instead she's on the run trying to get to a new life of freedom. She escapes to a train where she hides in plain site with her strange traveling companion Kerr, who has secrets of his own.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Grace is a stunning book that proves to me that Elizabeth Scott can write anything! Grace is a dystopian book that doesn't feel like a dystopian. It's a raw and powerful read that is chilling because readers can see the events easily unfolding today. Grace comes from a society that is blindly following Keran Berj and is part of a group that opposes his rule. Keran Berj's rule is frighteningly familiar and terrifying. Just look at history to see how a ruler like this could take over and it's easy to believe in Grace's tale.

The reader is thrown right into the story of Grace's escape. We are not given a background to understand what's happening, we're thrown right in and at first this is a little jarring. But I love this because it's up to the reader to figure out what's happening instead of being told the entire story upfront. Events unfold and we're given new details slowly throughout the novel-the plot unfolds in subtle layers and it's something as a reader you want to savor. There are moments when we come to a realization or discover something the same time Grace does-and I love those moments when reading! There are also moments that made me gasp in shock and surprise-I truly felt like I was there with Grace and going through everything with her.

Grace is different from other dystopian novels that I've read in that this one is not action packed and full of adventure. This is a quieter sort of dystopian that's more pensive-Grace is on the train thinking about her actions and the choices she's made and the outcome and path before her because of these choices. Grace is a look at one person's choices and how much power just one person can have, even if they don't realize it. The ending is something I can't wait to discuss with my teens because I'm curious to see if they view it differently than I do. Grace screams to be discussed-with other readers, in book clubs, in schools. Make sure you read this one with someone so you can talk about it after.

Grace is an amazing addition to the young adult dystopian fare and will stay with you long after you read it. I read this one a month ago and my thoughts are still haunted by Grace's story. A must read release for 2010!