Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (September 16, 2010) 

Book summary: 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.

My review: Elizabeth Scott has become one of my favorite YA authors. Hearing she was tackling a dystopian next, I made sure it was on my TBR list. I admire her ability to pack emotional power with such brevity. As I read Grace I wondered if I would feel the same way. I did.

I liked Grace even though it took awhile for me to warm up to her character, even longer to understand her world, a place run by a dictator-like god named Keran Berj. His world is controlled by his words, his dictates, and his soldiers and guards ensure any traitors will be removed. Grace herself is one, part of the opposition, the People. Her father, who blamed her very existence for the loss of his wife, made her become an Angel. Being an Angel she has to live in a special house, learn their ways, and practice bomb making. Along the way Grace becomes selfish, not wanting to blow herself up fr a cause but to go on living. In order to do that she must escape, not knowing if the outside world is any better than the one she inhabits.

Grace was innocently naive, considering her profession. Along the way her outlook changes, especially after she boards the train and meets a mysterious young guy named Kerr. With a story I first found slow moving, from this point on I couldn't put Grace down. The train ride held my interest during its bumpy and ultimately riveting conclusion (I won't give away any spoilers).

Scott has become known for her short, powerful novels. She has dealt with various subject matters, some very uncomfortable, but common themes I have noted in many are the heroine's ability to confront her demons whether they be inner or external, and the complexities of relationships. Both themes are infused in Grace but given a futuristic twist. Scott had done it again: written a thought provoking novel. Grace may not be for everyone's tastes; it is one book of 2010 I won't easily forget.

Rating: +++1/2

Favorite excerpt: (Page 181, ARC)

     "I want to live as I choose," I say to him, and the truth is bitter on my tongue, in my heart. But it is the truth, and I've known it since I looked up at the cloudless blue sky and realized I didn't want to be in it.

     I don't mind telling him this. He has seen what I will do to live.

     We have both seen what each other will do to survive, and it is because of him I am here now."

Cover comment: Appropriate. The colors, the swirling clouds, all are symbolic to the story, including Grace's short hair and her eyes.

Book source: We Love YA! tours

Reviewed by: Laurie