A Mathematical State of Grace: Book 1: Fragment

A Mathematical State of Grace #1

by Cathy McGough

Unique. Unstoppable. Unforgettable.
In Sydney, Australia strange things are happening. A city which was once filled with people and unique wildlife is now totally deserted and aspects of nature are reinventing themselves in order to survive. Sixteen-year-olds Grace Greenway who is an awkward mathematical prodigy and Vincente Marino who is an all around athlete are thrown together as the final two. Imagine: A Mathematical State of Grace.

Genres: Young Adult

198 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2015

About the author

Cathy McGough lives and writes in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, son, their two cats and one dog.

Reviews

[Lucretia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace is a different kind of heroine, and this is a different kind of YA dystopian tale. At first glance Grace is rather unremarkable, aside from being a math prodigy, which did impress me, since math is not one of my strengths. Initially there can be no doubt about how she feels about Vincente, a typical jock type character, who does become someone I really care for.

After an accident caused by Vincente where Grace is badly hurt, life threateningly so, it starts to become apparent that things might not be what they seem at a surface glance. There were a lot of things to ponder as the story progressed, I’m still curious about some of them that I assume will be touched on in later parts.

Aside from Grace and Vincente’s awesome adventures, there were parts with Grace’s mother that really touched my heart. I enjoyed the layered aspects of this story and think fans of dystopian fiction will find this unique tale a joy to read.

[Jan Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A geeky girl a sporty boy thrown into the chaotic world of strange wind's tree's and earthquakes, faced with being the only living being's left in the world. A story of survival and young love which has the reader pouring through the pages with baited breath.
Not what I expected when I started to read and I loved the way it took me on a journey of surprising encounters.
This book will not disappoint its an excellent read, looking forward to the
sequel which follows.
Cathy McGough does it again...this second book blew me away, Grace is in two world's without realising it. Her reality, is it the blood clots which threatened her life or is it the marriage to the boy she loves...
This book makes you wonder if there are other realities and if so which is the real one.
Grace's mother, Vincent and the doctors are thrown by the possibility of Grace's possible truth, the author has the reader right where she wants you in a mathematical state of wonder
I thought this was an excellent read

[Big Book Theory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Book #1 which left me with a lot of unanswered questions, and I am happy all my questions are answered in this, the 2nd book. In the first book I wondered where all the people had gone, but you realize very soon where they've been (no spoilers!). Grace suffers from a serious medical condition and Vincente's reaction to the situation is very believable. Her mother, Helen's reactions are also believable and I am sure I would have reacted in the exact same way as she did to the sudden revelation that my sixteen year old daughter believes she is married. I absolutely love how the ending of this story ties everything together from the Olive tree in the painting, the random girl they almost crashed into in book #1 and how everything is a golden mean (divine proportion) to everything else and that everything is connected.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superior YA novel that throws together Grace, a geeky but lovable sixteen year old girl and Vincente a handsome, sporty lad. At first their relationship seems based on Vincente copying Grace’s maths homework (she’s got a genius for the subject) but things take a dystopian turn when humanity is decimated as its struck by catastrophe: the two teens are thrown together and must make sense of events, and survive, using brain, wit and bravery.
Excellent writing and a cracking plot keep this novel moving along at a superb pace, and the events that unfold during the books course are fantastical but never lacking in credibility, I’d also say the same for the characters as you grow to firmly like them and really hope that every turns out well for them.
Great book and highly recommended!

[A.L. Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mathematical State of Grace is a story of a hopeful young girl in love with a guy who rarely ever looks her way. Unless he needs her help with math homework. But Grace doesn't mind helping him, and she is convinced that someday the universe will push them together and he will love her as much as she loves him.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this book, overshadowed by loss of memory and rediscovering oneself in a whole new world. But it doesn't stop there. The author has destinies in mind for these young people, and the reader may never see it coming.
I'm not much of a reader of YA, but this was fun to read. Looking forward to reading the next!

[Glennis Browne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a journey for the mind. Exploring reality and that other state.

I must admit, I skimmed this book. Noted the stages it went through, and the eventual conclusion. Perhaps it isn't my genre. Despite my comment above, it is well written, as the author skilfully brought her story alive. Probably written for a younger reader than this grandmother. Maybe for those who enjoy escaping into a world within ones mind, where anything is possible.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a mind trip to me. It pulls you in and makes you believe something. Only for it to flip you on your head to believe something else. Very catchy. Had my emotions all over the place. Glad I read it

[Jolene Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my typical read. That being said I absolutely loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone. The twists and turns in this book are very cool. I can usually see what is coming in this book I couldn't and loved it! I wonder what happens next for our characters!

[Nicole Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting....

Well. Hmmm. I'm not even sure what to say here. I enjoyed it. I felt very lost at times, then it all made sense, then I was lost again. Interesting read though for sure!!

[Tricia Hardesty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Very well written book that I enjoyed but at the end was SL confused. Its a very deep book that you have to think a lot about as you read. Your not quite sure what is reality and what is a dream or just a young girls desires.

[A. Powers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot in the beginning but my interest just kind of faded away as the story went on...

[megan wykle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my typical genre, but this story is very well written. Great characters with a great unique storyline.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very confusing to me.

[Becky Armstrong · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Mathematical State of Grace is a book which is basically what 16 year old's dream of about their crushes. We start with Grace, a genius who spends her brain power on being infatuated with Vincente. A boy who pays no attention to her unless he needs help with his homework. This review will contain spoilers, as I'll be picking out all the problems I encountered. 

The entire premise of book 1 is that Grace, after being hit by a cricket ball by Vincent, is knocked unconscious. When she awakes, she's lost her memory and she also needs to be treated for blood clots in her brain. Then, an apocalyptic style event happens while she's asleep, leaving only her and Vincente on the earth. 

The first problem I found was that Grace is a genius. Yet, she spends the entire book fawning over Vincente. This genius character could have been written so well into an apocalyptic world but she just didn't meet expectations. Her decisions were often stupid, she had no sense of urgency, and honestly, she was just plain unlikable because of how she acts. 

About halfway through the book, Grace spends about 2-3 pages thinking about 'What if Vincente's really a vampire?'. This created no bearing on the plot. It made me want to put the book down because I was internally cringing at some of the things she thinks and says. 

The second problem was that the relationship was completely problematic. Also, the relationship is the sole focus of the book, not the dystopian aspect that was promised. Grace has been in 'love' with Vincente since she first saw him when he joined their school. Insta-love is strike 1. Vincente has never returned any feelings, and uses Grace to help with his homework. Also he knows and jokes with his friends about her being infatuated with him. Strike 2. Now they're apparently the only two left on earth, Vincente returns Grace's feelings, although he's constantly telling himself 'she's not his type'. Strike 3.

As much as I disliked Grace, she deserves so much more than Vincente. She's also (I'm repeating) a genius. She should be smart enough to know better than this. He's apparently changed due to this apocalypse, but Grace should not just automatically fall into his arms. The whole plot demeans the fact that Grace is supposedly a genius and they're in a new dsytopian world.

Problem 3, there is no sense of urgency in this book. It is extremely slow paced and the characters don't even seem to want to look for answers. The chapter lengths differ, although I wouldn't call 5 paragraphs a chapter... Which made it seem even slower. At one point they decide to go shopping for new clothes. Everyone in the world has apparently disappeared and these two spend a whole day 'shopping'. Also, it's not shopping if you're not paying for anything. 

At another point where it's picked up the pace slightly, something carries Grace off and leaves her in a giant tree. So Grace lives in this tree for a couple of days, while Vincente (the 'love of her life') is possibly being tortured or dying. She's not in any particular rush to get back to him. So much so that when she finally returns to the house she showers and changes her clothes before walking the extra 10 steps to the bedroom he's in to see if he's okay. She then, instead of untying him and letting him clean his wounds, sleeps on top of him. Because obviously that's the priority... right?

This book could have been so good. If anyone has heard of a good book with a genius character who navigates through a apocalyptic dystopian world, I will be happy to read it. But this was not it. 

I received A Mathematical State of Grace* by Cathy McGough as an e-book from the publisher via Netgalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.

[S.K. Wee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Adventure

Grace Greenway is the high school mathematical prodigy. Though she is totally obsessed with Vincente, the dreamy sports jock, he has a popular girlfriend. Vincente does take advantage of Grace's math prowess by copying her homework he knows that Grace is not his type. An accident on the cricket field puts Grace in the hospital with a concussion and guilt-ridden Vincente stays by her side.
Grace wakes up with no memory of who she is and that's when things go really crazy. Grace and Vincente find not only the corridor outside her room empty but the entire hospital, parking lot, city. It seems like they are the only two people left on earth. This is just the first half of this story and there is much more to learn. Thus far there are many hints but no firm reasons for their predicament nor do we learn what role math plays in the story. A good coming of age adventure.

[Hayley Long · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this series.

This is a hard review for me as I hate writing anything negative, but let me start with the positives.

The first book in this series was okay, not great but entertaining. A bit like chewing bubblegum, you know that it has absolutely no nutritional value, but it tastes pretty cool.

The second book, however is the equivalent of when you have chewed that gum for too long and now it is a tasteless bit of rubber in your mouth. It was badly written and I am sure that the only research done with regards to the medical information was that the author watched a few episodes of some bad medical drama.

I got to 38% in the second book and gave up.

[Patrick Dent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!
This is a highly creative young adult novel. Grace is a sixteen-year-old mathematical genius who has always had a crush on star athlete Vincente. The feelings are not mutual. When Grace suffers a traumatic brain injury, the lines between realities become blurred as Grace embarks on an adventure that somehow includes Vincente.

I really can’t say more without spoilers, but this is a story of wild imagination, fantastic adventure, and mind-bending concepts about the nature of the Universe.

The story moves quickly, with well-developed characters and vividly imagined scenarios. Highly recommended for teens and adults!

[MalRoseMallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this one.
The first ten chapters were great. The writing was good, the characters were starting to become original and indulging. Then WHAM! Everything changed course. I did not enjoy it. The storyline was everywhere. The characters did not act their age. The writing became less intriguing and more choppy. It just wasn't for me at all. It could have been the length. She may have had to wrap it all into the 180 pages. But, the execution wasn't what I was expecting from the description.

[Becky Armstrong · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read about 20% of the second book in the duology to see if it had any answers to the problems of the first. I found that it was literally ‘basically what 16 year old’s dream of about their crushes’ as Grace is still in hospital. She’s dreaming the first book while her blood clots are bursting. At this point I gave up and DNF’d because it’s ridiculous. I learnt at school in English class that ‘and then she woke up and it was all a dram’ was a terrible plot device.

[Regandbuddysmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Wonderful beyond words. I couldn't tell where it was headed so the ending(?) was delightfully sad and happy. I'm sure I'm quoting Dickens wrong but "May I have more please "

[MalRoseMallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this short novel.
It was okay. The 2nd half was definitely better than the 1st. Just wasn't really into the writing and the storyline.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope

Didn't finish, just skim read to the end. I literally don't know what this book was about. It was awful.

[K Todd Ramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ebook ARC of this from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is 2 stars. I'm sure this book will be great for a specific demographic. Sadly, it was just not the voice for me. I'm going to leave it at that. I had to DNF it myself.

Another reader in my household DID read this in full and she would also rate this as a 2 star book. Her take was that the story bucked in the middle and changed direction completely and she was very unhappy with the ending.

K.

[Michael Lynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Mathematical State of Grace - Book 1:Fragment" by Cathy McGough is an odd sort of novel.

Ostensibly written as a dystopian YA type story, with the prerequisite teen-age hero and heroine as well as the 'unrequited love' plot-line typical of the genre, it is nonetheless full of surprises. The narrative thrums with overtones of both Carroll, ("Through the Looking Glass" and the more famous "Alice in Wonderland") as well as hints of "The Wizard of OZ" and the more familiar (to today's readers) "Inception" with its dream-nightmare-fantasy type scene setting and imagery. It may well be a work of unparalleled genius or alternately one which fails of its initial promise. I believe I am unable now to properly ascertain in which category it may ultimately fall as "Book 1:Fragment" lives up to its title and presents the reader with far more questions than it answers.

Our story opens in a rather standard way, we are introduced to sixteen year old Grace, a mathematics whiz who has an unrequited crush on the somewhat improbably named Vincente, the tall, tow-haired star of their high-school cricket team and all around girl-magnet. Grace fantasizes about having a relationship with the handsome Vincente, but knows in her heart that she has little hope of her desires becoming reality.
A sudden turn in her fortunes occurs when she is gravely injured while attending the match by a cricket ball batted up by Vincente. Grace suffers a traumatic injury to her brain, a serious concussion, and when she awakes she has lost nearly all of her memories. Vincente is overwhelmed with guilt and stays by her side night and day.
When it becomes clear that not only has Grace lost her memory, unable to even recognize her own mother and father, the true severity of her injury is revealed. Grace must undergo a risky and invasive brain surgery if she hopes to have any chance at full recovery.

The story picks up pace from here, with Grace's internal perceptions starting to become both strange and disturbing, as well as fixated upon Vincente. She experiences an intense dream-nightmare and wakes from it feverish and with a burning thirst. She calls out from her hospital bed for assistance but her cries go unheeded, 'Where are the nurses?'. The only person who comes to her aid is Vincente and it is through his assistance that she discovers that not only are the hospital staff unresponsive, they are in fact gone! The whole hospital is empty and as Grace and Vincente discover, the world itself goes on - but they seem to be the only two people left living in it!

No spoilers but the events which comprise the rest of the novel grow increasingly more bizarre and indeed fragmented. Through it all the relationship between Grace and Vincente, which seemed at first to be impossible, slowly blossoms and they find true strength in facing this 'brave new world' together.
I gave this novel a rating of three stars, not for lack of writing skill or imagery - these are present and well employed - rather this work has the unfortunate feel of a musical overture which never has a second movement. The reader is left with many questions and little promise of resolution; the ending is abrupt and in some ways anticlimactic. That said there is a great potential here and as this is obviously meant to be one third of a seamless trilogy it may very well be that once available in its entirety this will stand as a body of fiction that pushes the boundary of the art to new horizons and loftier heights.

[Misha Almira · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thundering ocean waves crashing over her, 16 year old newlywed Grace Greenway desperately clings to the rescuing arms of her husband, Vincente Marino, as the fantasy world she has been living in attempts to swallow her. Greenway has no awareness of the urgency swirling in the background of her real life at the hands of skilled surgeons who are desperately trying to save her life.
Her most recent memory was standing in front of an odd painting at the childhood home of her husband, Vincente Marino, with the allure of a special painting swirling and bending her mind. The same artwork that plagued Vincente’s memories and nightmares when he was a child. The couple was intending to leave the painting and their pasts behind to begin a new life together as husband and wife…but then the blood clots in her brain of some distant universe were about to counterbalance that optimism.
Author Cathy McGough follows Grace Greenway’s medical and emotional progress on a journey that follows two paths: one which puts Greenway and Marino in a fog of marital bliss, and one which puts young Grace on a tightrope between life and death where Marino hardly gives her a second thought. In The Mathematical State of Grace Finale: Fusion, McGough exposes the bare nerves of emotion that connect these diverse universes as Grace (and those around her) try to make sense of the surreal.
Marino was just trying to be of some help in Grace’s recovery and to ease his own sense of guilt for landing her in the hospital after hitting her with a cricket ball. But then something began to change when she kissed him. How did she know about the Aboriginal man? The painting? He tried to convince himself she was not his type, yet he felt compelled to be with her. He barely knew her outside of the math tutoring she provided him, so when the doctor reveals him to be the father of Grace’s unborn child, a melding of realities begins to take place.
McGough challenges the senses in this romance that transcends time and space. Grace is in the center of understanding that everything in life is connected. We merely need to open our eyes to the patterns and circular nature of the universe to see this for ourselves. A mind-opening read for those who perceive there is something greater that binds us all.

[Misha Almira · Rating 4 out of 5]

What more could an Australian girl want than to be with the love of her life without any interference? This is the world of 16 year-old math whiz Grace Greenway who finds herself in an unexplained dream-like world with the handsome high school athlete, Vincente Marino. However, it is not entirely blissful.

Cathy McGough’s A Mathematical State of Grace introduces an introverted teenager who is knocked unconscious from the impact of a stray cricket ball. Vincente is the responsible party for Grace’s condition; his guilt and compassion keep him at the hospital until she is out of harm’s way. What began as a casual school friendship, whose foundation was based on Vincente borrowing Grace’s math homework, intensifies throughout Vincente’s concern for Grace’s recovery.
She awakens in a hospital to learn she has no memories, unable to even recognize her own mother. The doctors mention a potentially dangerous blood clot to her brain which seems surreal to her. The journey to self-rediscovery begins here, and the reader follows Grace as she grapples with reality and fantasy and simultaneously seeks memories that will help her put her life back in perspective. In her pursuit of memory with the doctors, her mother, and Vincente, Greenway encounters her deceased father and brother, Darrell, without realizing who they are and that they are dead.
Vincente becomes Grace’s protector when they realize they are alone in the hospital, alone in the town, alone in the world. McGough mirrors the main character’s state of confusion through the setting which undergoes a transformation presenting a dynamic that feels as if Greenway has walked into a Salvador Dali painting complete with a tree which holds her captive and tries to eat her, echoing voices, and a threatening presence.
There is a floating quality to the story that bends the mind to open possibilities for what might be happening to these two teens. The third person limited omniscient narrator personalizes the events as they are perceived by Grace from her observation of Albert Einstein’s face in the sky to other mathematical references that seem to shadow her life. Despite the flowering closeness Grace feels with Vincente, life is not adding up for her when this volume ends, leaving Grace (and readers) wanting more.

[Gloria Antypowich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’ often read dystopian future genre, but I have two granddaughters who read it all the time. I loved the cover of this book and the title, and when I read the book description I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. It opened my eyes to another world of writing.

I sat at my kitchen table and discussed the book with my youngest granddaughter who is 14 and her 12 year old cousin ( a boy who is very bright and mature.) They are teenagers and I am a senior, but we had a great discussion about the genre and the different books that they read, and my little gal will be borrowing grandma’s Kindle one day soon before school starts.

I still have many questions—apart from the very active and sometimes human devouring trees—what happened to all the people? Where will this storyline go next? Will Grace be more mathematically involved in the next book? Will she and Vincente find mature love by the end of the series? Because right now she could still be involved in her infatuation and he thinks he loves her—and since it seems that they are the only two people left on the planet, it’s a given that they will stick together.

This was a very interesting read—even though I am far from a young adult. The characters were well developed, and I kept wondering if we would discover that her head injury had created a dream world that she seemed to be living in.

The teenagers in my house say no. So I guess we have to read the next book in the series to find out what happens.

A good book for all ages, aimed at the YA market. I recommend it to anyone.

[Victoria B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 ended with Grace and Vincente driving off into the sun set in their own little world were everyone else has disappeared. After finishing it I jumped right into book 2 hoping to find the answers to so many questions I was left with. Book 2 starts with Grace back in the hospital full of people dying from the blood clots and headed to surgery to save her life, leaving you to believe that book 1 may be just a dream of a unconscious dying girl. But when she comes out of surgery and wakes up, she believes that her "dream" is real and her and Vincente are married.Everyone including the Dr,'s think shes just mentally unstable and will figure out it was all just a dream, but was it? When Grace starts tell Vincente things that happened that she should have no knowledge of like the painting his mom made that scared him as a boy and the fact that she has one of his wooden statues out of his room or the way she kisses him makes him question his own reality and what about the fact that shes pregnant. This book will leave you wondering is there more then one universe, an alternate reality, are our dreams just that or just maybe something more. Over all a great book and a must read once you read book 1. only 4 out of 5 stars because the ending left seemed to forced leaving me wanting more answers or to see an actual fusion of both realities or something more.

[Colleen Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic novels, and have to say that ‘A Mathematical State of Grace’ is up to par with what I’ve come to expect from the best stories in the genre.

Cathy McGough has developed a unique story that highlights how majestic a quiet world can really be. There’s a certain special connection that builds when there’s only two people facing the vast world together, and I think McGough really captures the emotional depth that goes along with it between Grace and Vincente.

There’s something magical about this story — despite being set in a destitute, post-apocalyptic world, it’s still a place that I think young adult readers can escape to. That’s probably the most important part of good YA fiction.

I’ll be interested to see what else Cathy McGough has to offer with Grace and this story.

[Carissa Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story! Two seemingly different teenagers are thrown together after a catastrophic event changes the world. A mathematical genius, Grace is used to going unnoticed. But now she's stuck with Vincente, a popular athlete who's used to having the limelight. Although they couldn't be more different, now they rely on each other for survival.
I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. The writing was great and the story flowed well.
I was rooting for Grace and Vincente, and eager to turn the page and find out what would come next! If you're going to read this book, set everything else aside because it will keep you engaged the entire time!
A highly recommended book for lovers of YA and dystopian.