This wonderful debut novel by Debbie Babitt blew me away. If you like a good southern-based thriller/drama and coming-of-age story, you are going to love this book.

Saving Grace is a story about finding your identity in a town that wants to put you in your place. It examines whether people can be both good and evil, and whether forgiveness is enough to absolve you of your sins.

As promised by Scarlet Books, Mary Grace is one of my favorite protagonists in a long time. While she is no hero, regularly referring to herself as wicked for reasons both real and imagined, Babitt pulls the reader in and arranges them firmly on Mary Grace’s team. Past tense Mary Grace has some regrets, but current-day Mary Grace is a strong woman who loves her town and struggles to bring it peace. She isn’t perfect, but that only proves to make her more relatable.

This book touches on a lot of important social issues: bullying, racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and suicide and mental health. The town of Repentance is way behind the times, even in the present-day chapters. The commentary on all different kinds of discrimination feels extremely fitting in today’s climate. Unwed female teachers are still referred to by first name. One man becomes a scapegoat just because he’s different from everyone else in Repentance, with his storyline coming to a head in a way that is particularly timely. I appreciated watching Mary Grace go from a kid making racist comments just because she had heard the adults in her life say them, to a woman who can think for herself who regrets the racist child she was.

Scarlet has put out some amazing titles this year, and 2021 is shaping up to be another fantastic queue. From the cover to the blurb, I was eager to request this one and excited to be approved.

In the tightknit town of Repentance, Arkansas, Mary Grace wrestles her personal demons while trying to maintain law and order. A mother with a troubled past, Mary Grace struggles to find the balance between good and evil, convinced she's damned but striving to do the right thing. When a man from her past resurfaces in Repentance, the line between memory and present-day, she falls headfirst into turmoil. A young girl is missing, just like her best friend who went missing all those years ago, and if history has its way, events will be repeated. And someone else may end up dead.

I loved this book. I finished it in one sitting and regret nothing.

Mary Grace is a dynamic protagonist with edge and grace. She's not a hero, but you want to root for her, largely because of Babitt's diction and storytelling prowess. MG's voice is nostalgic yet pointed. Her observations about the world are dictated by her own self-reflection, a fact that felt so relatable and authentic in my reading.

My favorite parts of this book were the coming-of-age flashbacks. We see Mary Grace navigating through the toughest part of adolescence: body changes, the end of childhood imagination, and the intricacies that come with the friendships between young girls. One particular moment reminded me of a highly-recognized scene from Stephen King's Carrie, but instead of relying on sensationalism of the embarrassment, it's a stark, brutal moment in puberty many women have encountered, and I think many readers will relate to, or at the very least empathize, with Mary Grace's churning emotions.

Along with its entertaining and gripping plot, there's also some insightful commentary on social issues, among them: bullying, suicide, mental health, racism, sexuality, classism, and all the discriminations that arise when "the way it's always been" meets transition head on. Given our current climate, this read feels timely and oh-so important.

At its heart, Saving Grace is a story about identity, damnation, redemption, and the lengths we go to in order to find ourselves. Are people both good and evil? Can a person be forgiven and still remain damned? A fast-paced psychological suspense with layered twists that will keep you on your toes until the very last line, Saving Grace is a 2021 must-read.

I'd recommend this title to anyone looking for a strong female protagonist narrative, fans of Carrie or Dolores Claiborne, or anyone who loves a good coming-of-age mystery.

Big thanks to Scarlet and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to read this book, but I am so glad I did. I found every character realistic, yet flawed in a way that made him or her completely relatable. The plot is fast and kept me reading far longer than I'd planned. I truly hope Debbie Babitt finds the readers she deserves!

Saving Grace by Debbie Babitt

This is the debut novel by an author who certainly has found her talent. I was drawn to this book by the blurb and the very first sentence in the description by the publisher. “I’m the only one who knows what happened to those girls”. I am so grateful to the publisher for allowing me to read this book because it blew me away in every way possible. The writing has all of the elements needed for a Psychological thriller with characters who are well developed and easy to follow yet flawed to make them realistic. This book is full of suspense that is certain to keep the reader guessing. We are told the story from the protagonists point of view with flashbacks that are well written and very descriptive that allow the reader to follow along through her life and watch her grow. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves this genre.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mary Grace was fantastic! Loved her character and the way the author wrote you actually really get a feel fro Alabama! Great little story, glows backs wards n forwards from past to present but easy to keep track, thought it was fast paced and held my attention until the end; 4 solid stars from me, a really good book!

I definitely had NO idea what I was in for with this book. I was drawn in by the cover and tag line, and then totally blown out of the water. It was slow to start for me, but the second half was a compulsive read. And then...mind blown.

I feel like this one is definitely best enjoyed blind, and you won’t be disappointed!

I was an 11 year old sixth grader in 1995 just like Mary Grace in the first timeline of the story and the differences in our small(ish) town upbringings were so incredible to me. New England seems like a world away from the town of Repentance, AK and my experiences with small community, local social justice and religion are so wildly different. I think, as a result, I was a little overwhelmed and confused by all of the characters and their connections, and I think that I would have had an entirely different reading experience if I had more familiarity with that place and mindset - not necessarily better or worse, just different. And that being said, the information definitely helped put the town, and mindsets of the residents, into a clearer picture. I enjoyed the dual timelines - following the same main character - and seeing the connections within her and around her over the passing of time. There’s a lot to unpack in this one - an incredible debut! - and it would be a great book club discussion.

Thank you to @netgalley @scarletsuspence @penzlerpub and @letstalkbookpromo - and the author! - for including me in the buddy read and book share :)