I spend a lot of time reading, but sheer volume usually means I stay within a fairly small genre pool. I'm sure that's the same for a lot of people. The wonderful thing about stepping out of that bubble is being reminded how much fun it is to read something different! Let's put it this way: today was a perfectly warm, cloudless and sun-filled Saturday, and I had plans for doing all sorts of things. And then I started reading The State of Grace and didn't do any of them. And it was a day well spent.

Lucas is a fantastic writer, and she picked me up and dropped me in the middle of Grace's world with ease. Describe the book in a sentence? Deeply satisfying, absolutely believable and also a lot of fun. Kind of like The Princess Diaries set in Southport. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read :)

Before reading The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas, I had yet to read a book featuring a protagonist on the autism spectrum before. There are a few out, but not a huge amount, and only one other that I know of that is #OwnVoices, so I was really excited for The State of Grace, as it sounded like a really awesome story, and Grace has Asperger's syndrome. Unfortunately, I don't think this story really was for me.

Let's start with the positives. We all know #OwnVoices stories are written for those who rarely see themselves in the pages of the books they read, of if they are, not necessarily represented all that accurately. So, The State of Grace isn't for me. However, I did learn more about what it's like for people with Asperger's syndrome; how overwhelming a person can be by everything going on around them, how important structure and routine is, how it can sometimes be difficult to understand what other people mean. It was great getting that insight into something I've not completely understood before, and also knowing I can trust the representation. What was also, great, though, is that this isn't a book about having autism, it's just about the life of a girl who has it. Grace's autism does come up a lot, because it plays into how she sees, reacts and acts in the world, but it's not really the focus of the story.

And it's the story itself that I have a problem with. Because what the focus of the story is, I'm not really sure. There's a boy, Gabe, that Grace likes, who likes her back, and they go on a few dates. Grace is bullied a little by the popular girl in her class, and feels like she's weird and strange a lot, and wants to be more "normal". There are some problems at home because her dad, who is a wildlife camera man, is often away a lot, this being one of those times - and this time round, her mum isn't coping so well. Grace's mum is also back in touch with an old uni friend, who has a lot of opinions on how she lives her life, and how much her children should (or rather, shouldn't) depend on her, and puts all sorts of ideas in her head. She's rude, and she's completely ignorant to Grace's needs, and her mum just seems to selfishly go along with it. This part of the story was actually really well done, because I was so mad at Grace's mum. I could understand that life is maybe not so easy, and with Grace's father having the job he has, a lot of the time she is the one who has to look after her children and doesn't have much of a life of her own, but the way Eve was influencing her, it was like she simply didn't care anymore, and would force Grace into doing things that really upset her. It wasn't just selfish, but harmful and inconsiderate, and she had me fuming. But overall, there wasn't one main plot thread, just several smaller ones.

And, if I'm honest, I wasn't really pulled into the story. I wasn't exactly interested it. Grace, her friend Anna, even Gabe and the other boys, all seemed pretty young. Really, there was no difference in maturity between Grace and her friends and her younger sister Leah, who's 13. I know it's only three years age difference, but there's still a difference between how 13-year-olds act, and how 16-year-olds do. And this isn't down to Grace's Asperger's syndrome, because her friends were the same. As well as being little young, I don't feel I got to know many of the characters very well, and they felt under-developed to me. Kind of two-dimensional. The story was just kind of flat, until the pretty big deal that happens near the end, and even that comes completely out of left field. Grace suddenly has an idea, goes for it, and things go pear-shaped in a big way. But before that... I guess it was just a snapshot of Grace's life where nothing all that interesting happens, because we don't see much of very much. The only character I feel like I know is Grace.

And I also found that I didn't relate to her. Not because she's autistic, but because of the life she lives. She is middle class, whereas I'm not. Which is fine, I've read books with characters who are middle class before, and I was still able to find something there to relate to, even if they live a very different life to me. But there was nothing with Grace. She was very young 16-year-old, which was a gap of it's own, but there was also a distancing, in regards to her having a horse she rode every day, and all the training for Tennis her sister had. As I said, this in itself is not a problem, but it's just the way it was told, I guess, that put up a barrier between Grace's Middle Class life, and my own Working Class life.

I'm afraid to say I didn't like this book very much. But I think most of that is down to personal taste rather than anything else. Do read other reviews before deciding whether or not to give this book a go.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books via NetGalley for the eProof.

“Sometimes I feel like everyone else was handed a copy of the rules and mine got lost.” - Grace

Thank you Rachel Lucas for writing this book. Being an Aspie myself I’m always a little anxious reading stories featuring someone with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum disorder scale. It isn’t easy to get it right. The confusion of seeing others understanding life without having to try, the anxiety, being overwhelmed by almost everything. Grace’s story is doing a pretty good job of showing the struggles of everyday life. There is so much in this book I can relate to, understand the feeling, know what Grace goes through. I also can see the people around her not understanding what she has to live with. Nobody can fully understand, if not being affected yourself. Throughout the book I wanted to tell Grace, that it’s going to get better, easier. Not perfect. And never like most people's lives. But you’ll learn your way around in life and with the help of family and friends it will be good and positive. In the end I cried. For Grace, and for the joy that this book will give a lot of readers the chance to get a glimpse inside a young girls head as brilliant as Grace. And the positive message it sends out to Aspies, to hold on to hope and enjoy life, even if it’s not as perfect as you want it to be. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Not only YA readers, but all of you, so you learn and maybe understand us better.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley and Pan Macmillan!

What I liked:

This book may be a short and very sweet story, but I was completely gripped. I just couldn't put it down. Grace's inner monologue (as well as some of her outbursts) is absolutely hilarious, and I loved her.

I loved so many aspects of this book. It was so great to see Aspergers represented so well in fiction, which may be a big thing for readers who also have Aspergers themselves. You really get a look at Grace's life and who she really is.

I've only read one other book with a character who has Aspergers (yes, it was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time) and it was so long ago, I don't even remember what kind of impact it had on me. This one, I will definitely remember for a long time.

Anna and Grace's friendship is one of the strongest I've seen in YA in a long time. As well as that, Grace's relationship with her horse Mabel is truly something special. It will really speak to animal lovers worldwide.

What I didn't like:

I usually love mothers in YA, but here, Grace's Mam wasn't among my highlights. She was quite flighty and irresponsible, and I wouldn't exactly wish for her as my mother.

Out of five:

Four. This is a fantastic book that I honestly wished never ended.

Absolutely brilliant! I cried through a lot of the ending. Grace is loveable and complex. I love the people she surrounds herself with. This s such an important story to get out there! Absolutely worth reading!

An insight into one teenager’s life with Asperger’s. 4/5.

Being a teenager is complicated for most of us. Navigating a world of mean-girl politics, annoying parents, evil teachers and a new interest in boys and/or girls, all while in the middle of a hormone storm, is a tricky business. Add to this a lack of sensory filter and a difficulty picking up the non-verbal cues most of us read without trying, and you have an idea of the world in which Grace is doing her best to get by.

I enjoyed The State of Grace very much. It’s a good coming-of-age story with a solid plot and sympathetic central heroine. However, the best aspect of the book was how successfully the writing gave me a sense of what being Grace was like. When reading the passages describing situations Grace struggled to interpret and her experiences of sensory overload, I found myself feeling incredibly uneasy and suffocated. It always came as a relief when she managed to escape these moments and take a break, usually by fleeing to the stables and spending time with her horse, Mabel.

The secondary characters are also entertaining and believable, although I feel there’s an essay to be written on “the crucial role of useless or absent parents in YA fiction”. Although, as a parent, I found myself wanting to give Grace’s mother a good shake, it’s certainly true that if the parents in the YA genre were more capable and present, I doubt anything interesting would ever happen to the stories’ protagonists!

Finally, if you are a fan of horses (even just the fictional kind – I suspect Black Beauty fans would enjoy this), this is a book you’ll appreciate. Grace’s horse Mabel is as important a character as any of the humans in the book.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book. The State of Grace is published this Thursday, 6th April.

**Disclaimer: advanced reader copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

The State of Grace is the YA debut of Rachael Lucas, and it’s an OwnVoices novel about a teenage girl, the aforementioned Grace, who has Asperger’s. It’s been a long time coming for actual autistic representation in fiction, and especially in YA, which is known for tackling different subjects especially around mental health (and disability, to an extent).

As someone with family experience of autism, there were touches here and there which really make this book special, little insights into the life of an autistic person and how autistic people are treated as people. This is what really elevated this book for me - this is a book crafted with care from personal experience and it’s relatable and understandable.

Grace is a realistic character and feels more ‘teenage’ than some YA heroines as she gets to grip with teenage love and deals with school bullies and teachers and being a teenage girl. The romance in this book is sweet and, although I’m tired of every YA heroine needing a swoony love interest, we also need to be aware of the desexualisation of disabled people and that relationships with and between disabled people can, and do, exist and flourish.

I also loved that this book was set in North West England and I’m pretty sure I spotted some of the places from my childhood in this book so it gets a big thumps up from me for that!

The State of Grace is a quick, sweet and funny read that fills a much needed gap in UK YA. A must-read!

I personally felt this book was quite original compared to other books on mental health I've read. I didn't find the focus was constantly on the fact that the main character had a mental disorder but was actually more about her day to day life and relationships.

I think it does highlight Aspergers really well and give a deeper understanding to people who have it. But as I said there is so much more to this book than just that.

I loved Grace's character and how we saw her cope with everyday life and building relationships. The best thing is, she has been written like any other character would be, she just worries a little more. I actually found I could relate to some of her actions really well even though I have no form of Autism. She is just another girl who falls in love with a guy and worries about things every teenage girl would.
I did find the massive plot twist with her certain a little sudden. I understand the home situation wasn't ideal but the build up to it just seemed to small. One moment she is hanging around with someone who isn't a great influence, next thing she's just hit the deepest end. I liked that there were more things going on in the book, but I could've definitely done with a little more build up there.

"And the funny thing I've figured out is that sometimes, when it seems like everything is falling apart, it's not the end - it's the beginning."

* * * .5
3.5 / 5

The State of Grace is a book about being young, growing up and having Asperger's by, I'm informed, an author on the autistic spectrum. I think these kinds of books are particularly important, so I was impressed not only by the sensitive depiction of Grace but by the fast-paced plot, solid writing, and the way Lucas managed to capture the awkwardness of being a young teenage girl.

"I need to be quiet, somewhere, and just let myself settle, like a snow globe. But it's hard to make people understand that."

Grace has Asperger's - loud noises and sensations overwhelm her, sometimes she can't recognise people that she knows, or misses social clues which cause other people to get unfairly frustrated with her - but she also loves horses, in particular her horse Mabel, her cat Withnail, her sister Leah, and her best friend Anna. She's also about to kiss Gabe Kowalski at the biggest party of the year. Another reviewer said that they so rarely get to read about people with Asperger's getting love stories - and this love story really is much like any other. Gabe is a sweet fifteen year old boy with ADHD, and is the most popular boy in the year.

Alongside the romance, the book deals with family issues, Grace's sister Leah is thirteen and growing up fast, wanting to try new friends and alcohol whilst their mum seems a bit absent. She's reconnected with her university friend "Evil Eve" who is single and childless and wants to pick up her friendship with Grace's mum where it left off, fun and carefree and complete with copious amounts of wine. Then there's their dad, always jetting off around the world on wildlife photoshoots and filming documentaries. All the while Grace is trying to fit in, figure out dating, and worrying about what to wear to her mate's sixteenth birthday party.

"I've been on a date, nothing disastrous has happened and today I'm winning at being a human"

The State of Grace pretty decently captures growing up a teenage girl and it has a lot of love for horses. Grace spends a lot of time riding Mabel, grooming her, and mucking out her stable. If you aren't that big on horses - beware, Mabel features a lot. This book is also wonderfully diverse - aside from Grace, there's Gabe who is Polish with ADHD and the older lesbian couple who works at the stables.

However, I think The State of Grace tries to tackle a bit too much. Whilst it does justice to the mum and romance storylines, there's also the absentee father and Leah's plots. Their dad only appears in the book once, but he's mentioned quite a bit and it feels like he's wrapped up a bit too neatly. Leah is having friendship troubles and there's quite a serious incident which is sort of swept under the rug. I think Lucas tries to cram too much into what is quite a short novel. It's also got the very typical "mean girl" antagonist.

But, The State of Grace is a really good and quick read. It goes into the nitty gritty about how living with Asperger's can be difficult and how people can treat you like you are lesser, but simultaneously has a really sweet romance.

Grace is a normal teenager in every way, except that she lies somewhere within the Asperger’s syndrome spectrum. She loves her Mum and Dad and her thirteen-year-old sister Leah, but finds her life complicated by the fact that she does not know all of the complicated social niceties and hasn’t even got a rule book to look up what she should and shouldn’t do and which subjects were taboo and which were fine to talk about in mixed company. She has a wonderful friend called Anna and her saving grace of a sure-fire companion, her horse Mabel, with whom she feels entirely comfortable and capable. She takes her responsibilities seriously and is absolutely cooperative when she knows and understands the rules and feels comfortable, safe and secure. I loved her character and marvelled at her perseverance and determination to get things right and I felt inordinately sorry for her when she slipped up and made mistakes and other faux pas through no wilful fault of her own.
In this story Grace is coming up to her sixteenth birthday. Her father is away doing his day-job as an outstanding photographer. Her mother is left behind as sole parent; a very common occurrence when her husband is shooting film on location for weeks on end. But she is also thinking of taking a job and not being a stay at home mother, now that her girls are more independent. She is spreading her wings and has reunited with a friend who is helping her with this transition. Grace does not like or understand change and is unsettled by the atmosphere at home and her mother’s excitable behaviour. Aside from this she has recently become friendly with the new boy at school, Gabe, who has ADHD and has changed schools for a fresh start. She is changing as well as everything else and this complicates her usual routines. Grace begins to feel confused by the many emotions and changes that are going on with her and with her family. She no longer feels safe and she doesn’t know how to gain her equilibrium or how to fit in.
‘The State of Grace’ is unflinchingly honest, whilst being full of insight and even outrageously humourous at times. It is also tinged with sadness as Grace feels as if she is set adrift and unsure of what she should do and what she certainly should not do. This is a very short novel for teenagers and young adults, but also very engaging with the trademark fluent and absorbing storytelling of Rachael Lucas, the well crafted characters in her story, all carefully developed and last but not least an out and out compelling storyline. I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for my copy of this novel, sent out to me in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading this novel and recommend it as a good read within this genre.

4.5 stars

While this book didn't wow me as much as recent books that I have read, I still had an enjoyable time reading and thought it was a light-hearted and sweet book. I really enjoyed Grace's narration, and her friendship with Anna was lovely to read. Anna seemed like such a compassionate friend for Grace, who suffered with Asperger's syndrome and often found it difficult to adjust to her surroundings and social situations, which Anna really helped her out with. Eve was a piece of shit and I genuinely got very angry whenever she spoke. This may have been a result of Grace being so annoyed by her and if that was the case, then hats off to Rachel Lucas for seriously making me feel as angry as Grace did.
Overall, I would recommend you pick this book up if you're in the mood for a light-hearted, quick and enjoyable read.

This was the perfect book for us to read after finishing the Geek Girl series by Holly Smale. Grace had the same style quirks as Harriet, and even though she wasn’t spurting facts left, right and centre, there was that same sense of frivolity and fun that Geek Girl omits. If you love that series, it’s guaranteed you’ll get on well with Grace and co.

Grace has Asperger’s. Grace, and everyone around her, deals with this because it’s completely normal. I’ve read a few Own Voices reviews of the book that talk about how good it is that Grace isn’t seen as a ‘problem child’ or ‘weird’ by other people, and that’s one of the reasons this book is so good. Many books that are dealing with the non-average teenager will make whatever makes them non-average into their whole personality. Have an eating disorder? Well, you might as well be called Anorexia. Have depression? Well, looks like all you’ll be feeling is depressed. Grace is the complete opposite of this, and that’s beyond refreshing. Some of her teachers don’t even realise she has Asperger’s. It’s not an excuse for her behaviour – it’s just something she lives with.

I really loved how developed the family life was in The State of Grace. Her dad is a photographer, and hardly ever around, her mother is bordering on alcoholism and her sister is seriously lacking a positive role model. Grace gets to escape to be with her horse, Mabel, and her best friend, Anna, getting up to lots of shenanigans while pushing aside all her issues, until the end when it all comes to face her at once. While you could say that the book lacked a lot of extended conflict, I thought that The State of Grace was a great slice of life story, where you experienced every facet of Grace’s life, in bite sized bits.

The pacing, and how fast it is, can be reasoned by the fact that this book is under 300 pages. Under 250 in fact. I didn’t realise the book was so short to begin with, but this definitely led to a more Middle Grade than YA vibe.

Overall, The State of Grace was a fun read, if a bit predictable…but Geek Girl can be at times, so that’s not a reason to not read it. If you’re looking for something that’s a lot of fun, with a main character with lots of voice, Grace is the way to go. We ended up giving the book 3 stars and would definitely recommend to any teen that feels like a child at heart.

Grace is fifteen and has autism, she struggles to deal with things like noise, in the way other people can. This causes her to have to up and leave classes at school when she feels overwhelmed.
Grace however, adores her horses and loves animals, she has best friend Anna looking out for her and a younger sister called Leah who loves TV and learning what its like to become a teenager as she's thirteen.

When we get deeper into the story, we find Grace is looking forward to a party coming up. She and Anna choose between outfits together and end up having so much fun hyped up together they break Anna's bed from bouncing on it!

Anna wakes early most mornings if not all, to go to the stables and help out. Whilst she's there, Gabe comes hurtling by and falls of his bike before briefly chatting to Anna and carrying on his ride. At the party a game of spin the bottle takes place at which, school bully Holly, sits by Gabe hoping she'll be picked to kiss Gabe only Grace ends up being kissed by Gabe.
Life n many ways, Grace doesn't like change though.
Her mum's new friend Eve is around too much, drinking more with her mum too, her dad and mum seem on the rocks and her sister Leah is acting over thirteen and more like Holly would.
Then there's the fact Gabe is now her boyfriend and understands her Autism as he has ADHD.

The book is all about changes, growing up, alcohol and the effects of it on different ages in different ways, finding first love and overcoming bullies or negative people/friendships in your life. It was a really engaging read as well and reveals a closer look into the life of an autistic person too. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thank the publishers for allowing me to review it for them!

I've been a very big fan of Rachael Lucas's books ever since I read Sealed With A Kiss and fell in love with it. That meant I got super excited when I heard that Rachael was working on a YA novel. I was very lucky to get to read an early chapter of The State of Grace back when it didn't have a book deal, so I've waited patiently ever since to read the final thing. I was not disappointed!

It's hard to describe exactly what The State of Grace is about because it's one of those books that you really do need to read to discover how good it is. To put it simply, though, it's told from the perspective of 15 year old Grace who has Asperger's. The book breaks down what it's like for a teenager with Asperger's, dispelling all the stereotypes and assumptions that people have. All the while, Grace has to deal with the confusion of her dad being away for long periods of time, her mum introducing a new friend that Grace doesn't like, and her sister spiralling out of control.

There are some books that you love because they're full of action and big, surprising moments; there are other books that you love because they're the polar opposite, because they amble along at a natural pace and have you thinking about them all day long. The State of Grace was the latter.

I felt so close to Grace, who you get to know so well throughout the course of the novel. Having written it in first person, Lucas allows you to nestle in amongst Grace's brain and see the world through her eyes. For this reason, The State of Grace has achieved an incredible feat - it simultaneously allows girls with Asperger's to have a voice in YA, and allows those who don't have Asperger's to understand what it's like to see the world as they do.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with YA romances that adopt the "Hollywood effect" and romanticise teenage relationships to such an extent that they are unrecognisable from the reality of teen relationships. The State of Grace, however, restored my faith in YA romance. Gabe and Grace were awkward and endearing, heartening and uplifting, and Lucas left so much possibility between them, without suggesting a happily ever after. Other YA authors, take note!

It's not until you read Lucas's other fiction that you realise how much skill and talent she has. To write books aimed at different age groups is not an easy feat, but Lucas manages to seamlessly build a flawless writing style that reflects who she is writing for. It might seem cliché to say that my breath was taken away by the style of Lucas's writing, but that's exactly what happened -- her ability to replicate Grace's voice was stunning and I commend Rachael Lucas for this.

The State of Grace is a book I will be thrusting into the hands of all unsuspecting book lovers at every given opportunity. Please, please read it -- it's one of the best books you could hope to read.