Rating (Out of 5): ~4
Genre: YA Realistic
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin)
Release Date: 2010
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon
. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.
Powells.
. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.
Powells.
Goodreads 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.
Told in spare, powerful prose by acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they’ve reached the final page.
Told in spare, powerful prose by acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they’ve reached the final page.
The Cover:
I think this cover is fitting. It's not especially pretty to me, as I don't really like the way the face with all the flames look, but I think it works. It represents the book really well, and it is eye-catching.
Quotes:
- "'You do what you must in order to survive.’” (Hardback, pg. 89)
- "Now neither of us do because life shouldn’t be something you want to hide. It shouldn’t be something you turn away from.” (Pg. 184) (On living being shameful, as they’ve been taught.)
- "That life is only
about death.
But it shouldn’t be.
Life is about being alive. It is about living.” (Pg. 195)
Review
This was a really
fast, very interesting, read. I was surprised, and I liked it.
This is a really
small book, with large spacing, so it went by in, like, two hours. But it was
still a really interesting, deep read. I knew what it was about going in, but I
was still surprised. Maybe that’s because I don’t read a lot of books on this
topic, or even close to it, but still.
Grace’s journey was
really interesting. It’s sad, and kind of frustrating, the traditions of where
she lives. It’s hard to imagine, and it just seems hard.
This book was very
deep, given what Grace has gone through, and what she has decided to do. On her
journey to escape, she meets a guy close to her in age, Kerr. His story was
also really interesting to read about, and really horrible. It was all kind of
horrible, though.
Despite the
possible hint of romance in the synopsis, there isn’t any in this book. Her and
Kerr, instead, talk. They find out about each other, and talk about what
they’ve done and what’s happened to them, even if they’re reluctant and in
hiding. And I’m glad that it wasn’t a romance, because I think it worked out
better this way. Them just forming a kind-of, maybe bond, I think, worked
better for them.
I was surprised by
this book, but I really liked it. It was deep and kind of beautiful, but also
really sad. It’s definitely worth picking up.
