The State of Grace

LoveReading Says

In a Nutshell: Living with Asperger’s * Dealing with change * New beginnings    “Being human is a complicated game”, and that’s certainly the case for fifteen-year-old Grace, the sparkling protagonist of this gorgeously heartfelt and often hilarious novel.

Grace is bright and witty, but has Asperger’s and often feels as if she speaks “human as a second language”, though when she’s riding her horse “everything melts away”, and Anna, her adorable best friend, totally has her back, and then there’s the magic of getting together with the “mysterious Gabe”. But an undercurrent of tension between her parents offsets the good times. Her dad’s a wildlife cameraman and works away a lot and, when her mum’s old uni friend turns up, life at home is further disrupted. Change is hard to deal with at the best of times, but it’s intensified tenfold when you’re Grace and “living with all your senses turned up to full volume”.

From the honestly portrayed real-life predicaments of living with Asperger’s and growing up, to the glorious giddiness of Grace’s first romance, this perfectly compact treasure trove of a novel comes highly recommended for fans of character-driven contemporary drama. ~ Joanne Owen

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

Find This Book In