"I was supposed to kill the Minister of Culture. I was supposed to stand in the front row of those gathered to listen to him speak and press my left hand to my right wrist in a way that would push the wires bound under my sleeve together. I was supposed to do that and then watch the world burn." - Grace, Elizabeth Scott
Grace is an Angel - of a peculiar sort. Born into a mad world reminiscent of that of Orwell's in 1984, Grace is destined to destroy herself so that she might strike a small blow against the absurd government of tyrant Keran Berj. Her tale is troubling and eerily reminiscent of our own times.
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. 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
Grace is a beautiful read for young adults. Come to East Cleveland Public Library and check it out!
