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nfarnell95's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
neurodivergentbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
juliasilge's review
4.0
Charming YA romance with a protagonist who is a teenage girl with "high-functioning", Aspergers-y autism. This isn't a perfect book when it comes to plotting but the portrayal of Grace, her inner life, her relationships, and how she perceives the world is utterly delightful. Her character is treated with dignity and understanding, and just her existence/representation as the protagonist in a YA romance is refreshing.
janaybrazier's review
4.0
A lovely story about a girl who just wants to fit in. It represents Asperger's in a careful, considerate way and I'm really glad that I had the opportunity to read this before the official release date. Thank you to NetGalley who gave me this opportunity.
jwinchell's review against another edition
3.0
It’s possible that this book did not hit me at the right time. It’s possible that I’m biased because the main character’s autism did not resonate with how I understand my son’s. For whatever reason, Grace’s sensory seeking and “brain whizzing” did not work for me and I resorted to the 30 minute read. The author and the author’s daughter both have autism.
beccajreads's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I wish I had this book to read when I was younger. I can only imagine the impact of having a character I could relate to so much would be. This book has made me cry and feel seen in a way I've not felt seen before.
Representation is important.
Representation is important.
powisamy's review
4.0
The State of Grace was one of my most anticipated books of the year and was something that I was really excited about as I had not read a book focusing on anyone with Asperger's before. The State of Grace, however, did not disappoint offering a slice of life novel of Grace which is really entertaining and interesting.
The book often does not have a real plot which some people have not liked however to me this felt like we were just glimpsing into Grace's life which I liked. I also did enjoy the relationship between Grace and Gabe and seeing it develop through the course of the book especially how they bonded over their love of Doctor Who because who doesn't like Doctor Who.
The characters in this book where the let down of this book as they were often not developed greatly expect Grace and Gabe who were, of course, the main characters of the story. There was also the character of Grace's mother whose character I didn't like much and felt that she often made the weird decisions in the book that were harmful on Grace especially with Eve who I greatly disliked.
One of the best parts of this book was the representation of Aspergers and knowing that is Own Voices makes it even better as these books are not common and especially having a topic like this can be given to others in a similar situation.
The Verdict:
The State of Grace is a YA novel that gives an honest insight into what it is like living with Asperger's which was deeply insightful and enjoyable throughout.
The book often does not have a real plot which some people have not liked however to me this felt like we were just glimpsing into Grace's life which I liked. I also did enjoy the relationship between Grace and Gabe and seeing it develop through the course of the book especially how they bonded over their love of Doctor Who because who doesn't like Doctor Who.
The characters in this book where the let down of this book as they were often not developed greatly expect Grace and Gabe who were, of course, the main characters of the story. There was also the character of Grace's mother whose character I didn't like much and felt that she often made the weird decisions in the book that were harmful on Grace especially with Eve who I greatly disliked.
One of the best parts of this book was the representation of Aspergers and knowing that is Own Voices makes it even better as these books are not common and especially having a topic like this can be given to others in a similar situation.
The Verdict:
The State of Grace is a YA novel that gives an honest insight into what it is like living with Asperger's which was deeply insightful and enjoyable throughout.
rachelwrites007's review
4.0
Oh goodness was this book exhausting. Mostly because I too am on the spectrum and so is Grace and her inner thoughts were tiring, just like mine. But for real, it was DELIGHTFUL. If you have ever wanted to get inside MY head, or anyone else with autism spectrum disorder, read this book!!!
I loved Grace so, so much. She is 15 years old and on the autism spectrum and says and thinks just like someone who is on the spectrum DOES. This is so rare to read about - how tired she is after many social events, how listening to conversations with things going on in the background is hard, how social cues are immensely difficult to get... I loved that aspect so much. And because she is 15, she messes up. Like any teenager might. Sometimes moreso because she doesn't always think things through, and sees things in black & white.
Must read.
I loved Grace so, so much. She is 15 years old and on the autism spectrum and says and thinks just like someone who is on the spectrum DOES. This is so rare to read about - how tired she is after many social events, how listening to conversations with things going on in the background is hard, how social cues are immensely difficult to get... I loved that aspect so much. And because she is 15, she messes up. Like any teenager might. Sometimes moreso because she doesn't always think things through, and sees things in black & white.
Must read.
pippad's review
5.0
Firstly, let me state that I know the author and I'm ashamed to say it's taken me so long to read a book by her, despite knowing what a fantastic way with words she has.
Secondly, like Grace my daughter is autistic and from all I've learnt, I'm pretty sure that I am too.
Grace is the main character and everything we see and hear in the book is through her eyes. Grace who turns 16 during the course of the story, is autistic, loves horses, Dr Who and lives near the sea. Basically she is me growing up.
Grace often bemoans that we aren't given a set of rules to live our life by and that the rules that we do follow, well everyone else seems to follow them so much more easily than she does. And it's true isn't it? Even for those who aren't autistic, everyone seems to have it easier, to understand those smiles and nods and winks (or is that just my autism showing through?) and teh rules that we all seem to follow without knowing why, but just knowing git makes other people happy or is considered polite.
Anyway.
Grace is learning to navigate life, boys, friends, enemies, passions, and understanding the world around her. Just like her little sister Leah and her Mum and her gran and her Dad and her best friend and the wider circle fo young people from the school Grace attends.
I don't want to give away too much, because unlike Grace I think that sometimes not knowing the ending makes it better, but if you want to understand the world a little more, if you want to understand how those who are autistic feel and process things then this book is for you.
Oh and at the end is a little 10 things I wish people knew type thing about Autism and is scarily accurate to a list that my daughter wrote trying to explain it to her Dad and I.
Secondly, like Grace my daughter is autistic and from all I've learnt, I'm pretty sure that I am too.
Grace is the main character and everything we see and hear in the book is through her eyes. Grace who turns 16 during the course of the story, is autistic, loves horses, Dr Who and lives near the sea. Basically she is me growing up.
Grace often bemoans that we aren't given a set of rules to live our life by and that the rules that we do follow, well everyone else seems to follow them so much more easily than she does. And it's true isn't it? Even for those who aren't autistic, everyone seems to have it easier, to understand those smiles and nods and winks (or is that just my autism showing through?) and teh rules that we all seem to follow without knowing why, but just knowing git makes other people happy or is considered polite.
Anyway.
Grace is learning to navigate life, boys, friends, enemies, passions, and understanding the world around her. Just like her little sister Leah and her Mum and her gran and her Dad and her best friend and the wider circle fo young people from the school Grace attends.
I don't want to give away too much, because unlike Grace I think that sometimes not knowing the ending makes it better, but if you want to understand the world a little more, if you want to understand how those who are autistic feel and process things then this book is for you.
Oh and at the end is a little 10 things I wish people knew type thing about Autism and is scarily accurate to a list that my daughter wrote trying to explain it to her Dad and I.
andintothetrees's review
4.0
I enjoyed this. I loved Grace's "voice" and how her thoughts went off on tangents all the time, and although the writing wasn't overly heavy on physical description (which is a good thing, I switch off if there's too much of it) there were lots of little observations (like a poster poking out from under a dressing gown behind a door) that made it feel "real". I liked the exploration of the personalities of Grace's immediate family too, and the dynamics of their relationships. The plot was fairly predictable, hence 4 rather than 5 stars, but this was a solid YA read.