State of Grace

5.0

0.0 (0)

290 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Hilary Badger

Publisher

Capstone Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

September 01, 2015

ISBN

163079015X

Buy This Book

Ever since she was created, Wren has lived in an idyllic garden with her friends. Wren's deity Dot ensures the trees are laden with fruit and the water in the lagoon is crystal clear. Wren and her friends have everything they could possibly need right there, in Dot's Paradise. If only Wren could stop the strange, disturbing visions she's started having. Do these visions make her less worthy of Dot's love? And what does Blaze, the most beautiful and mysterious of Dot's creations, know about what's going on in Wren's head? Wren is desperate to feel Dot's love, just like everyone else. But that's harder than ever when a creation she's never met before arrives in the garden. He claims to be from outside and brings with him words and ideas that make Wren's brain hurt. Gradually Wren and Blaze uncover the truth: they're part of a clinical trial of an ominous drug called Grace. And as she deals with this disturbing knowledge, Wren confronts a horrific secret from her past. Now she must decide whether to return to the comforting delusion of faith or fight for the right to face the very ugly truth.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Don't miss this Utopia!

August 09, 2015 (Updated: August 09, 2015)

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

In the beginning, I was really uncomfortable reading State of Grace. It was awkward and too perfect. Teenagers with no limits or boundaries. No moral code. A disturbing utopia. One where a bizarre higher power controls peoples lives.

And I was reluctant to get into it. The pacing was slow and I felt like it was going nowhere.

Then, I started to notice small, odd (odder than everything else this book had already offered) occurrences that seemed out of place.

The pacing picked up. Way up.

The characters were becoming self-aware.

And I was engrossed!

I loved this book. I don’t usually read Utopias, but I’m glad I did. (and the author is Australian, so it’s a given that this book would be awesome).

It really is a book to make you step back and think how some of this relates to the way people act now. Following anything just because that is what they’re told to do, without deciding if it’s right for themselves.

It takes of major issues such as depression and suicide and rape. I think it was handled well, but like I said before, I was uncomfortable at times because how okay everyone was with it. But that was the state of grace they were in.

I loved the concept of State of Grace. Almost like a virtual Sims game. Almost like the Matrix. Almost like The Giver. And just as impressive and interesting as those things.