Grace

Nov 07, 2010

Cara rated it

Shelves: 2010, science-fiction, awesome-covers

That cover is what just captured me. You can tell that those eyes hold a numbness but have a tinge of hope. Her face is transparent showing you what she sees: smoke, fire and destruction. She sees what an angel should see but she doesn't visualize triumph at a scene like this, but death. Grace breaks her vow to die serving the People. She wants the unthinkable, she wants to live.

Now, when I first started reading I was confused. I didn't get what the time frame for the events or what ...more

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Jun 12, 2011

Nic rated it

Recommended to Nic by: Nomes

Shelves: from-recs, dystopia, powerful-stuff, read-in-2011

Rating: 3.5-4 stars. This is such a hard book to rate

Favourite Quote: Sometimes, I don't think there is anything beyond what is here, what is now. I think that maybe beyond this world - this train, the desert we are passing through, this heat swelling all around - there is nothing.

Wow! This little book, it is only 191 pages, packs a powerful punch. Grace is a heartbreaking tale that is beautifully written.

I am sure you all know I am huge fan of Elizabeth Scott. ...more

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Jul 20, 2011

Mara rated it

Shelves: 2011, dystopian, young-adult

Three stars might be too generous, but two doesn't quite give it justice. Certainly this is a scattered book, but it kept my attention (200 pages of spare writing liberally spaced on each page and organized into short chapters will do that sort of thing). The world is interesting, if a little over the top. The moral dilemma poses a good question (when is killing in the name of freedom justified? well, obviously never, but this is a dystopia and a terrorist organization we're talking about. there...moreThree stars might be too generous, but two doesn't quite give it justice. Certainly this is a scattered book, but it kept my attention (200 pages of spare writing liberally spaced on each page and organized into short chapters will do that sort of thing). The world is interesting, if a little over the top. The moral dilemma poses a good question (when is killing in the name of freedom justified? well, obviously never, but this is a dystopia and a terrorist organization we're talking about. there's a lot of indoctrination going on.)

Grace is a Hill person (terrorist) with a City person (dystopia hellscape) background who's been selected as an Angel, a fancy term for suicide bomber. After neglecting to actually commit suicide by bomb during her mass murder rampage, she flees to the City and is pushed onto a train by some random guy. She's got a travel partner, Kerr, who pretends to be her brother as they both high tail it out of the country. They don't like each other. After taking a moment to inform us that the leadership has eyes and ears everywhere, that they must act like relatives who at least tolerate each other, they proceed to fail miserably, what with the glaring and tense conversation that would most definitely tip off just about everyone in their train car.

As this train steadily chugs along, carrying the country's brightest and most loved, inevitably every single passenger is subjected to the whims of drunk and sadistic soldiers, latrine problems, starvation, dehydration, random rape and the occasional point-blank execution. None of this is really that shocking. This is a dystopia, after all. If someone isn't piling up dead bodies and disposing of them by burning down half their city while still somehow miraculously maintaining complete power, I'd be shocked. Shocked!

Anyway, Grace soon learns the real identity of her travel partner/"brother" and is horrified, since he's basically considered dystopian upper management. I really don't get why no one on the train full of dytopian elite said, "Oh, hey, you're that kid who killed your parents for a cinnamon bun and became the poster child for our beloved dystopia!" But that never happens. I guess this is proof positive that no one ever eavesdrops on conversations or bothers to notice anything around them while on mass transit.

Regardless, Kerr and Grace have a lot of feelings about death and freedom and living under a brutal regime, be they terrorist hill people or dystopian hellscapes. They talk a lot. No one notices anything suspicious. Then Kerr basically throws some poor lady under the bus to save Grace, neither seem to care all that much about it afterward, and I had a moment of hair-pulling confusion. Wasn't Grace just discovering that she should, you know, reflect on killing 30+ people so she could run off and live? And isn't Kerr trying to atone for basically killing his parents for a sticky bun when he was eight?

So, I guess maybe killing others for your own personal gain is right after all? Ugh, I give up.

Basically, the situation kept me interested. I couldn't say I necessarily liked it, as it was full of holes and definitely didn't make a whole lot of sense, but I'll still say three stars for keeping me entertained.(less)

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Apr 05, 2011

Janelle rated it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

W O W, I'm becoming quite the dystopian fan of late.

Thought provoking and emotive, my DH is reading it now. It explores themes of choice & the meaning of freedom. It's still haunting me.

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Jun 20, 2010

Katieb (MundieMoms) rated it

Shelves: arcs-i-own, books-i-own, 2010-100-book-challenge, mundie-moms-review

Grace is such a brilliantly written book. It's not a chick lit, nor a paranormal book. It's a YA book about choices. Grace has been raised to be an Angel of Death and now she's questioning everything she's been raised to believe. In a society were women do what they are told, you don't question why. You do what you're told. Now Grace must choose to fulfill what she's been told will be an honor or she must flee and choose life, and find freedom, fulfilling a dream of hers.

Grace should...more

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Sep 20, 2010

Princess Bookie rated it

Shelves: read2010

My Thoughts: Its hard to explain this review, how I feel about this book. When I first saw this novel a few months back I immediately was happy because another book was being published by Scott. I adore her books. I typically read her young adult romance books and I was a little concerned because this had more of a dystopian feel. Its also a really short book so I figured I would give it a try even though I don't normally read dystopian. I think its a little harsh of me to say I'm not into it, ...moreMy Thoughts: Its hard to explain this review, how I feel about this book. When I first saw this novel a few months back I immediately was happy because another book was being published by Scott. I adore her books. I typically read her young adult romance books and I was a little concerned because this had more of a dystopian feel. Its also a really short book so I figured I would give it a try even though I don't normally read dystopian. I think its a little harsh of me to say I'm not into it, because the ones I have read I have really enjoyed (Restoring Harmony for example) I think I just haven't had a lot of exposure to it.

We meet Grace who is an angel of death. What does this mean? It means that she was born to be an angel of death, she was supposed to die. But she chooses to live and because of that, she must face the consequences. Her people pretty much abandon her and she is going to be killed or cast out either way. She than turns to a friend and goes on the run. She is arranged to meet Kerr to go on the run with him. Kerr is not whom she believes he is. He becomes an unlikely ally. Grace discovers a lot about herself and the real outside world. Its not all flowers and sunshine and she must learn to survive on her own. Its hard to explain how much I enjoyed this book without giving away spoilers. The little twists and turns are ones that you must experience for yourself.

Much of the novel, I did not see coming. Parts of it left me with my mouth hanging open wondering what I just witnessed. My heart beat a million miles an hour rooting Grace on for being a strong young women. Elizabeth Scott has successfully created a dystopian novel that left me wanting to cry for Grace's situation, cheer for Grace's strength, and fall for the bad boy Kerr.

Grace has everything you could ever ask for!

Overall: Loved it a lot. It's just so intense I'm still thinking about it a few days later.

Cover: Really love it. Its beautiful right? Yes, it is!

What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes

Taken from Princess Bookie

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Dec 15, 2011

Good_reads7 rated it

When I first picked up this novel, I really didn't know what to expect. It was very short, had large font, and didn't look like something I could really get into. To be honest, I don't think I would have even bothered picking it up if my school librarian didn't strongly recommend it.
"Grace" written by Elizabeth Scott is about a young girl named Grace trying to escape the wrath of dictator, Keran Berj after she failed to fulfill her duty as a suicide bomber. The entire n...more When I first picked up this novel, I really didn't know what to expect. It was very short, had large font, and didn't look like something I could really get into. To be honest, I don't think I would have even bothered picking it up if my school librarian didn't strongly recommend it.
"Grace" written by Elizabeth Scott is about a young girl named Grace trying to escape the wrath of dictator, Keran Berj after she failed to fulfill her duty as a suicide bomber. The entire novel takes place on the train to freedom and the main story line is made up by her memories.
In my opinion, the story was too slow and hard to relate to. To be honest, I was completely confused for the first few chapters of the novel. I had no clue who Keran Berj was, who Grace was, or what she was doing. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the sort of confusion that would create suspense either. These first few chapters really made me think that this novel was going to be a real terrible page turner. Not the kind that has you reading more, but the kind that has you reading the book backwards just to find out what in the world you just read.
Near the middle of the novel, the story line started to get better. Grace's past was being conveyed more effectively and I was starting to realize what was going on. Around the same time, a clear moral was beginning to form itself: live your own life. It was the effectiveness in which Elizabeth Scott was able to portray this moral that began to change my views over the novel. Suddenly, the novel didn't seem as bad as I thought it was. Unfortunately, I read on. Perhaps it was the fact that the theme was portrayed extremely well that made it seem so redundant and overused. I felt that this really took away from the main story of the novel and caused it to seem more boring.
Overall, I felt that this novel was quite poorly written but packed a reasonably strong moral despite its short length. I wouldn't recommend this novel to someone who wants an interesting read, but I would recommend it to someone who needs to write an analysis on the moral of a novel. If that's the case, this is definitely the book for you! (less)

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Sep 16, 2011

Kelley rated it

I thought that this book was really interesting, but also really awkward. It is about a girl named Grace who is a "Angel of Death". She was raised so that when the time came, she would kill the person that she was assigned to kill and herself. At the last moment she decides that she doesn't want to die and blows up the bomb once she is far enough away to not get hurt. Then she is on the run and has to leave the city before the government can catch up to her, and her own community d...more

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Jul 02, 2011

Sami rated it

I loved this book. I can't say how much I loved it beyond saying that that I devoured it even when I was stressed and bogged down by the third week of school. And this book happens completely on a train. 200 pages of a girl on a train, and I could hardly put it down. Amazing and wonderful, sad and tragic, this book hit along the same caliber as Scott's Living Dead Girl, which I have read and cried over twice.

Grace lives in a world of rebels ready die for a cause against a tyrant that m...more

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Jun 08, 2011

Mark rated it

Shelves: young-adult-literature, dystopia

"It's a strange road that's led me here. A bad one, some would say. Evil, even. But I'm not sorry I'm here.

I'm not sorry I'm alive."

Not clearly set in a near-future version of our world, or another world entirely, this novel follows Grace, a girl who has been raised to be an Angel, a suicide bomber for the People, a rebel group fighting a totalitarian regime. Grace had received her assignment, but instead of dying herself in the blast, she dropped the bomb, set it o...more

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May 10, 2011

Mike Li rated it

My feelings towards this book are mixed. Although I enjoyed it, the way the story that was presented to me felt scattered in the beginning. The plot of the book is about a girl named Grace, raised to become a suicide bomber. She, however, had different plans. She triggered the bomb to explode after she was out of harms way. She didn’t realize what her actions did to her town and family. When she returned, she understood that she could no longer stay home. So she would escape across the border to...more

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Jan 29, 2011

Michelle rated it

Grace is an extremely powerful, and sparsely written, story about a young girl who strives to better her life by overcoming the oppression of her nation’s government. Having been designated an Angel, Grace’s one reason for existence is to give up her life to thwart Keran Berj the supreme ruler of the country she lives in. The only problem is she refuses to do so. When the time comes for her to inflict her destruction she is not able to rise to the task and take herself along with those she is ...moreGrace is an extremely powerful, and sparsely written, story about a young girl who strives to better her life by overcoming the oppression of her nation’s government. Having been designated an Angel, Grace’s one reason for existence is to give up her life to thwart Keran Berj the supreme ruler of the country she lives in. The only problem is she refuses to do so. When the time comes for her to inflict her destruction she is not able to rise to the task and take herself along with those she is targeting. It is then that she takes flight and the terrifying escape she is attempting turns into the beginnings of the life she’s always wanted.

Scott has created a diverse setting where outside of the city and hills she has opened up what feels like the outer ring of hell. This section of land, through which Grace and Kerr must travel to arrive at the border to freedom, is a devastating dust bowl. It is dark, grimy and hotter than an oven. A place where there is clearly no comfort to be had for the people relegated to living there. They are down-trodden and desperate in every way, begging for money and hopeful to sell their wares to the riders on any train that comes through their horrifying spit of land. It was so vividly written that I could feel the dirt and sweat on the passengers traveling on the train, it was stifling and exhausting and just uncomfortable all the way around. Feelings I believe Scott wanted the readers to endure to be part of the story.

As a character Grace is light on words, she is direct both in her conversation and inner dialogue. Having lived the life she has — extensive training and preparation to die at her own hands — she routinely conducts herself in the moment knowing that things will change quickly and abruptly. The only problem is that despite her training and all that she is expected to believe about her cause she can’t quite justify going to that ultimate violent extent. It’s that inner turmoil that makes her so complex and dynamic.

Friendless, for the most part, Grace quickly begins a tentative exploration of her traveling companion Kerr. As the journey moves forward she learns that he turns out to be more than she had bargained for. Without giving away who he is and what he’s done I’ll say that Kerr brings his own set of issues to the story and to their relationship. These issues are not black and white and like Grace provide for a fair amount of reflection.

This book was not light-hearted fare. It was dark and a good portion of it explored the minds of people who are willing to do anything to survive. The heavy plot includes crime against others, succumbing to the will of others and ultimately death (both by murder and suicide). There isn’t any love or caring it is truly about surviving to live another day by any means necessary. What amazes is how despite all of the oppression and overwhelmingly bleak living conditions there is hope. In Grace’s decision to live, in her choice to take the risk of disobeying her People Scott shows us the potential for something better, for something more. That is the core of this story.

For such a quick read this book packs an incredible punch. Not only does it afford the reader the ability to explore the mind of a would be suicide bomber but it allows for the drawing of our own conclusions surrounding the outcome of events that put the young lady in that circumstance to begin with. An intense read that explores deep emotion and controversial subject matter, Grace is one that would be fantastic for upper middle grade and young adult classrooms. It speaks to tolerance, freedom of choice and a number of other governmental and religious leaning issues.(less)

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Dec 01, 2010

Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it

Shelves: 2010-100-book-challenge, books-i-own, arcs-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews, mundie-moms-book-of-the-month

Grace is such a brilliantly written book. It's not a chick lit, nor a paranormal book. It's a YA book about choices. Grace has been raised to be an Angel of Death and now she's questioning everything she's been raised to believe. In a society were women do what they are told, you don't question why. You do what you're told. Now Grace must choose to fulfill what she's been told will be an honor or she must flee and choose life, and find freedom, fulfilling a dream of hers.

Grace shouldn'...more

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Nov 05, 2010

Kelly Hager rated it

Grace has been raised to be an Angel. In the dystopian society she calls home, her people are battling a dictator. The boys are raised to be Rorys, or soldiers, and the girls are raised to be Angels, or suicide bombers. It’s her job to kill the Minister of Defense (and, obviously, herself and as many others in the room as she can).

This is an amazing book. It’s heartbreaking and terrifying and a little hopeful, too. But mostly, it’s just sad. I say that because it underscores ju...more

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Sep 30, 2010

K rated it

Shelves: library

This is an introspective tale.

Grace is on the run. Throughout the train ride to possible freedom that spans the length of the book, she comes to terms with the events that led her there. She was raised to die. Her life was never her own, she was supposed to die to further the Peoples’ cause of freedom - ”Freedom depends on setting aside everything in its name.” Just as she’s supposed to carry out her own suicide, Grace decides she’s done with death. She wants to live. She is now wan...more

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Aug 20, 2010

Reading Teen rated it

3.5 out of 5

Well, where to begin with this book....

It was disturbing. It's hard for me to read a book like this because I really do read to escape into another world, and this world hits way too close to home. Not my home, but the home of so many in the world today. Yes, this is a dystopian, but there are far too many similarities to countries that actually exist now to ignore. This book was like taking North Korea, Nazi Germany, and Al Qaeda and shoving them togethe...more3.5 out of 5

Well, where to begin with this book....

It was disturbing. It's hard for me to read a book like this because I really do read to escape into another world, and this world hits way too close to home. Not my home, but the home of so many in the world today. Yes, this is a dystopian, but there are far too many similarities to countries that actually exist now to ignore. This book was like taking North Korea, Nazi Germany, and Al Qaeda and shoving them together in one crazy, messed-up country. In fact, about halfway through the book, I was so depressed that I almost quit reading it. If it hadn't been such a short read, I probably would have. HOWEVER! I am really glad that I didn't give up. I don't want you to think the writing was bad, or that the story wasn't interesting, because that isn't the case at all. It was just really a downer for me. But, sometimes you need a good dose of reality to make you think about this world and just how badly things can get messed up.

The scary thing about Grace, is that it seems so unrealistic and far-fetched that a country can be so horrific....but it isn't really far-fetched at all. We've seen it in history, and we continue to see it now. And something I think that Grace brings to light is how, when faced with something we don't agree with on one side of the pendulum, we often swing so far to the other side that we're just as wrong as the people we were opposing. This is demonstrated by the People, who are a group of "freedom fighters" struggling against the evil dictatorship that has taken over their country. They are so busy fighting against this evil, that they cease to see the evil they themselves are introducing to the world. Namely, raising young girls (Angels) to infiltrate the regime and blow up a bomb, killing themselves and as many of the "enemy" as possible, including women, children, and anyone else who happens to be there.

The first half of the book switches back and forth between the past and the present while Grace is on a train, trying to escape the wrath of her country, who view her as a terrorist, and of the People, who aren't pleased with her abandoned mission and see her as a coward. The second half of the book actually got pretty exciting and interesting as Kerr and Grace find out more about each other, and Grace begins to see just how hypocritical her thoughts and beliefs are. The world that Elizabeth Scott has borrowed, twisted, and molded is a terrifying one, and one that I won't be able to forget reading about for a long time.

~Andye (http://ReadingTeen.net/)(less)

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Aug 17, 2010

Rachael rated it

Grace is an Angel. All her life, she was taught that she is giving her life for a worthy cause, the cause of freedom. She’s been told that it is honorable to die and take as many others with her as possible. But when Grace’s time comes, she cannot make herself do it. A life of questioning her people’s beliefs has finally caught up with her. Now, rejected by her own people and unwelcome among her enemies, Grace is on the run, hoping to find a border to escape to real freedom. Along with her myste...moreGrace is an Angel. All her life, she was taught that she is giving her life for a worthy cause, the cause of freedom. She’s been told that it is honorable to die and take as many others with her as possible. But when Grace’s time comes, she cannot make herself do it. A life of questioning her people’s beliefs has finally caught up with her. Now, rejected by her own people and unwelcome among her enemies, Grace is on the run, hoping to find a border to escape to real freedom. Along with her mysterious companion Kerr, Grace is on a dangerous journey, fraught with peril and chilling memories. But in the end, she might be able to find the freedom she desperately craves—and the strength to deserve it.

Having read most of Scott’s young adult books, I believe I am qualified to say both that she is a good writer and that she has grown as a writer. Though I do love her more innocent teen romances, Scott has long since graduated to heavier topics, as in Living Dead Girl. In Grace, Scott goes even more above and beyond. She creates a dystopian world of extreme belief systems that will shock most readers, perhaps because they are so realistic and would not be out of place in society today. In the middle of all this is young Grace, a girl who just wants to live in a community that dictates that she can’t. Readers will come to love this fragile girl as she tries to figure out who she is in the cruel world she lives in and comes to terms with her past. As always, Scott wonderfully portrays the emotions and ironies of life in Grace. I do warn that because this novel is so different from Scott’s other novels, especially because there is more reliance on background and flashbacks than the present story, it may be difficult to keep track of names and situations, but overall, Grace is a story worthy of anyone’s time.

Fans of Scott’s writing in Living Dead Girl will not want to miss Grace, nor will those who liked Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien and Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

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Dec 21, 2011

Diana rated it

Shelves: love-that-cover, dystopia, young-adult

This book blew my mind. I couldn't put it down and I finished it in one setting because aside from a beautiful cover, this book offered me a glimpse into a lifestyle that I have always wondered about: suicide bombers. How does it feel to be raised to die for a cause? The interesting this about this book is that is accomplishes a goal that the movie The Kingdom accomplishes... It shows us that no matter how much we hate or fear our enemy, we kill and they kill so how are the two any different? Th...more

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Nov 02, 2011

Shelley Daugherty rated it

I wanted to give this a lower star rating because I did have difficulty getting into the book in the beginning. However, the rest of the book made up for the part I struggled through. Scott has a way of drawing you into a character's mind and not drowning you with too much information. This is a fine balancing act and this is one author who has it down to a T.

Grace is raised to be a suicide bomber. There has never been any other way she has thought of her life turning out. But rig...more

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Sep 13, 2011

Kassie rated it

I just finished reading this two minutes ago so the story is still fresh in my mind. this book left me feeling different things. relief that is was over, grief that it was over. I wanted more of the characters especially Kerr, the story was short but it a way its length was perfect. I feel disconnectedly connected to the characters, If I ever met Grace I don't think i would like her as a person, probably because she reminds me of myself a little, she has flaws, her selfishness if a bit frighteni...more

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Oct 09, 2010

Courtney rated it

Shelves: sci-fi-speculative, teen-fiction

Talk about a hot-button issue. Elizabeth Scott has once again tangled with the provocative in her latest book. This is, however, her first foray into science fiction and it works. The premise is this: Grace has been raised to be an Angel; a suicide bomber for the People. When she gets her mission, she is unable to follow through to her own end. Reviled by her community and family, she is on the run to the border. Accompanying her is a boy known for his ultimate betrayal in the name of Ker...more

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Jul 21, 2010

Erika Lynn rated it

I never thought I would pick up a YA book about a suicide bomber and devour it in one sitting. Elizabeth Scott has crafted an incredibly original novel about a young girl born in to the type of ideological war that engulfs so much of the world and makes her story relatable, moving and downright brilliant.

Grace is on a train with a stranger, Kerr, both hiding in plain sight as they try to get to the border and escape their death-filled lives. As the plot moves forward, Scott peels bac...more

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Jul 31, 2010

Reading Angel rated it

This review is going to be hard to write so please forgive me if it isn't exactly wonderful.

Grace was a really tough subject matter to read about. The thought of a young girl being raised to believe that her whole life and purpose is to be a herald of death. To think that it will bring her glory to go out and kill herself and others in a bomb explosion is difficult for me to process. I cringed almost the whole time I was reading this book.

The book starts with Grace bei...more

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Jan 03, 2012

Elinore rated it

This is one of those complex books packed into a small package. The theme of the "Angels" is both so beautiful and so frightening because you could see some brainwashed cult falling for something like this. But as I have said before, to compare the character of Keran Berj to David Koresh or Jim Jones is an understatement. The best comparison would be if one of these cult leaders somehow wormed their way into political power. This relationship between Grace and Jerusha/Kerr is one o...more

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Jun 25, 2010

Cynthia (cynthial11) rated it

Shelves: favorite-books

While reading Grace my mind kept going back to the one book that made me want to read more which is The Giver by Lois Lowry and kept feeling the same kind of emotions as when I read that one. Even though it's not the same story at all, it just reminded me of it so much because the writing was just so amazing that the story makes you think about so many different things even after you finish it, Grace lingers in your mind for days afterwards just like I felt after reading The Giver when I was 12 ...more

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Oct 19, 2010

Kate (I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!) rated it

GRACE, by Elizabeth Scott, is a quick dystopian read that will keep you thinking about it for days after. The synopsis on the ARC I received did not do this book justice. When I read "Angel" I think white wings, pure heart, and fighting for the good guys. This book was the farthest thing away from my initial idea.

The Angels in this book are chosen to be suicide bombers in a society that is ruled by a dictator. Our fearful heroine does the unthinkable and lives after her mi...more

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Jul 16, 2010

Sarah rated it

Grace by Elizabeth Scott is really like nothing she has written before.

Synopsis: 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 ...moreGrace by Elizabeth Scott is really like nothing she has written before.

Synopsis: 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.

I knew from reading other reviews that I was in for an unexpected story by Elizabeth Scott and that is certainly true. This not her boy/girl type romances. It's all about choices and freedom, deciding whether to live or die.

I honestly hope to keep this review a little sparse because not only is the text sparse and almost a silent predator in the book, but I don't want to ruin anything. I enjoyed this story and seeing Elizabeth Scott out of her contemporary setting, but at the same time, I was expecting SO VERY MUCH, that in the end, I was left a bit letdown.

Grace has been taught death is her life. She learned from an early age that her only value is that she will die and take out someone connected to that infinite ruler, Keran Berj (which I must say, is kind of a totally awesome name. I kept repeating it in my head and outloud while reading. I don't even know why but it does inspire a type of fear.) But Grace decides, just as she should be dying, that she wants to live. Truly live, even if in the end that means she will be captured and killed by the enemy. SHE wants to make the choice, she wants that power for herself finally. Thus begins her journey.

This is a short and swift read. I was immediately pulled into Grace's struggle, her fears, her hatred of the enemy and even her slow understanding that the freedom being expressed on both sides is not true freedom. To have to believe for so long that death is your only calling is scary and sad and well, Grace is not exactly a happy character. I found her choices to be the natural product of the conditioning she had undergone for so long. She finally had the ability to break free and even knowing the risks, she did it anyway. Grace has a lot of courage.

The story is told in alternating scenes: flashbacks to some point in the past combined with an immersion into the present, the escape.

Yet again, Elizabeth Scott proves she is a master storyteller. Her writing skills are immense and are showcased very well on these pages. That being said, I didn't LOVE this story. I enjoyed it but ultimately it didn't leave all that much of a mark on me and I think part of that is because Grace always seemed so ethereal, not all that human to me despite all the human emotions she gained towards the end. She was a very distant character and this story to me read as if from a distance. That's not a bad thing, it just kept me from fully immersing myself into it.

However, it's a hot title this coming fall, releasing September 16, 2010, and it's a title you will want to read no matter what.
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Jan 24, 2012

Chelsea Barva-kertesz rated it

At first, I wavered on whether or not I wanted to read this book, but I'm glad I did.

Grace is a book set in the dystopian future about a young girl who is traveling on a train to escape the wrath of an evil dictator. She once lived in the Hills, a place untouched by the dictator, Keran Berj, but she was exiled once she failed her task as a suicide bomber. Now Grace is on a train to what she believes is freedom with a boy named Kerr who she just met. Kerr is also trying to find fre...more

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Feb 09, 2011

Sara rated it

Shelves: read-in-2011, young-adult-books

While set in a disturbing dystopian vision of the future, the world of this novel hits close to home. Grace has been raised to be an Angel – one of the People of the Hills whose purpose in life is to die for her beliefs. Grace is a suicide bomber, and when she sets off a bomb to kill one of the followers of the tyrannous ruler Keran Berj, her own death will bring her and her people honor. However, when Grace decides that she would rather live than sacrifice herself, she finds herself on the r...more

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Oct 18, 2010

Chachic rated it

Shelves: borrowed

Originally posted here.

Grace is a dystopian novel with a unique premise. At only 200 pages, it packs quite a punch. It's amazing how so much can be conveyed by a slim novel. Grace lives in a world filled with violence. She belongs to the People, the group determined to fight against the dictator Keran Berj. She has been trained to become a suicide bomber and she should consider it a great honor to die serving the People. But Grace doesn't want to die. In a world where everyone is tol...more

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title link	preview: Grace
avg rating	preview: Grace Goodreads rating: 3.43 (498 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6625948-grace?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267537349m/6625948.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6625948-grace?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Grace by Elizabeth Scott[/url]

Grace

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