A review by asimilarkite
Grace by Elizabeth Scott

4.0

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 run with another fugitive with a mysterious past. This novel is largely introspective, and using succinct and philosophical language, Scott leads the reader towards truly understanding Grace, her world, and her struggle with the decision to live. The parallels with our own world are apparent, and Scott does not skimp on violence or moral turmoil. This book would be a perfect companion piece to a social studies lesson on the psychology of suicide bombers.

(Fairly formal review I wrote for a Book Review Council)