Liz

November 13, 2008

Not a feel good Christmas tale AT ALL. It is actually one of the more depressing books I've read this year. Usually by the end of Richard Paul Evans' books, I feel a peace wash over me, I felt very sad after reading this. With that said, it is very good, well written and engaging, like the rest of his books.

Tiffany

December 15, 2008

Grace is an amazing inspirational story about 16 year old Madeline "Grace" Webb, a runaway with big problems and her relationship with 14 year old Eric.In 1962, people minded their own business. What happened behind closed doors was considered priveledged. Children were their parent's possessions and no one could say anything about the treatment of those children. For Grace, life was more complicated than most 16 year old girls have to deal with. Eric finds her digging in a dumpster behind his workplace, and takes her home with him. Eric and Grace bond in a world too big for their years, and this touching story reflects how one girl and her story could change lives forever. I can't tell you how much this book moved me, inspired me, angered me, and enlightened me. When a book can cause you to feel those emotions, it's truly worth reading. Mr. Evans is eloquent, and even though this is a fairly fast read, it's emotional, and touches you. I found myself crying and feeling real pain reading this story. I believe that Mr. Evans is a child advocate, someone who spreads the word of God, allowing people to believe in faith, hope, and love.

Nely

November 13, 2008

This is one of those books that just pains you to have to put it down. It was a very emotional, intense and sad tale. The characters are charming. Important issues are addressed in a delicate manner. I felt the ending was a bit rushed but it definitely pulled at the heartstrings - of course, making me shed a tear or two. This is my first Richard Paul Evans book, but now I am intrigued by his much talked about The Christmas Box. I was happy to hear how RPE is using his income to help out abused children through various charities. You can sign up for his mailing list at RichardPaulEvans.com before December 31,2009 and $1 is donated by Operation Kids to The Christmas Box International to help abused and neglected children.Grace is a must read. Have your tissues ready!

Aleshanee

January 17, 2018

Aufmerksam geworden bin ich auf das Buch durch Tanja auf ihrem Blog "Der Duft von Büchern und Kaffee". Weder das Cover noch der Klappentext hätten mich angesprochen, aber ich probiere immer gerne auch mal etwas anderes aus. Nach dem kurzen Vorwort war ich allerdings fast schon am überlegen, ob ich es wirklich lesen möchte. Das Thema ist hier Kindesmissbrauch - und obwohl ich nicht dafür bin, davor die Augen zu verschließen, gehe ich diesen Themen in Büchern aus dem Weg, da sie mir einfach zu nahe gehen. Trotzdem wollte ich der Geschichte eine Chance geben und der Autor hat es tatsächlich geschafft, eine Atmosphäre zu schaffen, die eine gewisse Art von Leichtigkeit und Unschuld behält und trotzdem berührende Momente zu schaffen, die sehr tief gehen; eine schwierige Gratwanderung, die gerade gegen Ende des Buches immer dramatischere Züge annimmt.Es beginnt mit einem Märchen, einem, wie ich finde, zutiefst traurigen Märchen über das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern, das der Großvater Eric seinen Enkeln zu Weihnachten vorliest. Dabei erinnert er sich an einen Winter im Jahr 1962, als er selbst gerade 14 Jahre alt war und mit seinen Eltern und seinem jüngeren Bruder nach Salt Lake City umgezogen ist. Sein Vater war zu dieser Zeit sehr krank und das Geld knapp - es war nicht einfach für ihn, aber er hat versucht, das beste draus zu machen.Wie Eric auf Grace trifft und wie die beiden füreinander da sind wird kurzweilig aber sehr einfühlsam beschrieben. Eric hat lange keine Ahnung, warum Grace von zu Hause ausgerissen ist - er ist ein guter Junge, naiv und zum ersten Mal verliebt. Er tut alles für sie, auch wenn er mit der Situation total überfordert ist und sich zu Entscheidungen hinreißen lässt, vor denen er eigentlich Angst hat. Die Beschreibung der damaligen Zeit ist dem Autor gut gelungen, ich konnte mich in die Situation der beiden sehr gut hineinversetzen, auch wenn alles aus Erics Perspektive erzählt wurde. Anfangs liest es sich noch "einfach", aber man erkennt recht schnell, welches Leid hinter all dem steckt und weiß trotz der fiktiven Idee, dass es vielen anderen Kindern und Jugendlichen gerade in diesem Moment genauso ergeht. Kleine Anspielungen und vor allem die kurzen Auszüge aus Grace´s Tagebuch, die an den Kapitelanfängen stehen, berühren sehr und zeigen wie hilflos und verzweifelt sie tatsächlich ist. Es gab ein, zwei Ereignisse, die der Autor angeschnitten hat, die ich etwas unpassend fand, wo es um Krieg und Atombomben geht, warum er die Handlung gerade in der Zeit der Kuba Krise gelegt hat konnte ich nicht so recht nachvollziehen und hat mich etwas irritiert. Aber das war nur ein kurzer Moment, dem ich nicht wirklich Beachtung geschenkt habe. Auf was er genau damit anspielen wollte hab ich vielleicht auch einfach nicht verstanden.Verstanden hab ich aber sehr deutlich, wie sehr ihm am Herzen liegt, dass diese Probleme und das Leid dieser Kinder gesehen und verstanden wird und wie wichtig es sein kann, dass jemand, auch ein einzelner Mensch, so viel gutes tun und helfen kann. Eine tiefgehende und ergreifende Geschichte, die mir sehr zu Herzen gegangen ist.© AleshaneeWeltenwanderer

Jennifer

November 09, 2012

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.comIf one were to look up the definition of "grace," this is what one would find: a virtue coming from God or disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency among others. But either of these definitions could apply to the beautiful story written by Mr. Evans. GRACE is another amazing story written by the author of THE CHRISTMAS BOX. For those who have never read anything by Mr. Evans, GRACE will not disappoint, and will most likely lead you to read the rest of his works. For those that are already fans (such as myself), this is another wonderful novel. Many of Mr. Evans' stories celebrate the Christmas season. Though not completely revolving around the holiday, GRACE reaches into the heart and touches all that is special with the Christmas spirit. Eric's life is far from wonderful. After his father hurt his back, the family packed up everything they owned and moved from California to Utah. Money has dried up in the summer of 1962 and, to survive, his family moves into the house left vacant by the death of his maternal grandmother. The house is falling apart, but they are together and have family nearby to help them. To help with finances, Eric works at McBurger Queen after school. It's there, while cleaning up after closing, that he discovers a girl "dumpster diving" (sorting through the Dumpster for food). He recognizes the girl from one of his classes, but doesn't want to embarrass her. Instead, he invites her inside and offers her the food that would otherwise be discarded. While she is eating, he learns her name is Grace. She admits she is running away. Eric can't fathom what a girl his age will do to survive. Without thinking of the consequences, he offers up the only place he can think of, the clubhouse in the far corner of his backyard that he built with his younger brother, Joel. He sets Grace up in the clubhouse with a heating pad for warmth, a flashlight, a transistor radio, and a supply of sleeping bags. As time goes by, the two become friends. He sneaks her food when he can. She sneaks out when it seems safe, and passes her time in the clubhouse with a collection of books from the library. But her family starts a frantic search for Grace. Announcements are made at school. Flyers are put up around town. And eventually it makes the evening news. Eric is terrified he will be found out and that they will find Grace. He vows to keep her secret. His resolve grows more so when she reveals the reason for running away. Eric is only fourteen, and the pressure from all sides start to mount. He knows Grace can never be turned over to her family, but what can a teenager do to help her in the end? Eric berates himself as a grown man that he couldn't help Grace more. He continues to search for the grace he doesn't feel he deserves. Reminiscent of the ending of Saving Private Ryan, the main character searches for the goodness that he hopes he has lived up to in the eyes of those that have gone before him. Mr. Evans has a way of bringing forth buried feelings. GRACE touches you deep in the spirit and makes you want to be a better person. With the upcoming Christmas season, may we all show a bit of grace to those around us.

Debby

December 14, 2009

This is the story of a 15 yr. old runaway girl who is befrieneded and cared for by a 14 yr old boy and how their lives are changed forever because of their relationship. This is really a great book to read at this time of year too. Very profound and thought provoking message about child abuse as well. I highly recommend this book!

Diana

November 27, 2016

Grace is a bittersweet coming of age story of a teenage boy in the 60's amidst the Cuba missile crisis. This was definitely a 5 star book, and I loved it but when I chose it for my Christmas pick for our book club I was expecting something different. I don't feel it was a Christmas themed book, and was led astrayed by the description "heartwarming". While Christmas does appear in it, it is a book I would have read at any other time of the year. The book brought back childhood memories both good and bad; visions of running away, but also of a more simpler time with no internet, playing outside for hours on end. The book talks about the darker side of childhood where child abuse had no name. The characters were all real to me, the ending and epilogue were great.

Gina

March 15, 2017

Love this book. It is not predictable yet the story builds up emotionally as the characters become vulnerable and relatable. Love the way the writer brought out the way life unfolds in reality sometimes.

Dara S.

May 16, 2018

Emotional story about a young woman suffering abuse at the hands of her stepfather. (There are not graphic details in this book.)

Sandy

December 23, 2017

I loved, loved this book! I have been telling everyone I know about it. Why do authors do this to us? Why do authors drag us along, get their readers emotionally invested then, decide to type out an ending that leaves their readers clutching the novel like it’s a winning lottery ticket. As I was retelling my mother about this novel, her words expressed exactly what I felt, “that was it? the author left you with that, after everything you read?” and I signed and replied, “my thoughts, exactly…...” The year is 1962. We begin with two brothers (14 and 10) and their parents moving from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. Money is tight for the family right now and the family has to move. Suffering from a serious disease, father is now paralyzed and the family is moving into their grandparents vacated home which has acres of land attached to it. Father prognosis is good but in the meantime, mother will work. The boys are not happy about the move, Eric the older brother gets picked on at school. The brothers build a clubhouse amongst the trees on the property and I liked how they find comfort in each other’s company. Eric gets a job and his life changes one day when he notices a girl from school digging in the dumpster behind his place of employment. Madeline Grace says she is not dumpster driving but as he talks to her, she mentions that she is running away. Eric offers Grace the clubhouse as a place to stay and Grace accepts.Eric is excited to have Grace in the clubhouse and he begins to bring Grace leftover food from work. He also buys her food with his own money and I could feel an attraction building between the two. He is soon smitten with Grace but I didn’t feel that she fell for him as fast as he fell. It was so sweet and innocent, how the two of them were around each other. They start to get intimate. She kisses him a few times, quick, gentle, tender kisses. Finally, Eric kisses her: “Our lips touched and she closed her eyes. It was incredible. It was like Christmas, my birthday, and scones for dinner all rolled into one. When we finally parted there were big smiles on both of our faces.”They talked about love: “Do your parents love each other?” she asked. “Yeah. I think so. They still fight sometimes, but they always make up.” She pondered my reply then asked, “Have you ever been in love?” “I don’t know,” I said softly. “How do you really know when you’re in love?” She stopped walking and smiled at me. “When you don’t have to ask.”Grace stays hidden in the clubhouse even after the school and the police ask about her whereabouts. Eric tells Grace that he would never tell anyone where she was. He liked having her there, they were living in their own little world. This was his first attempt at love, his first kiss and he was finally being accepted for who he was. He was saving Grace. One day, Grace gets upset with Eric and the truth of the situation comes out and I was overwhelmed. Like Eric, I was speechless and dumbfounded. The truth hurt and what lies ahead was unsettling. The rest of the novel had me on edge and I was not ready for what happens at the end. No, never ready for that ending. I truly loved this story, loved it for its beauty, its freshness and its hope. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Holly

January 19, 2016

This book is about Eric, a 14 year old boy who moves to Utah with his family during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. When he is working at a burger place one day, he finds a girl named Grace. He later finds out that she ran away from home, and has to make a decision about how to help her. The two become great friends and must figure out how to survive in a world where money is scarce and people are in need. Eric and Grace go through many struggles together with their families and financial situations.

Satwik

July 12, 2020

Grace by Richard Paul Evans is one of the most engaging, depressing, beautiful book. It's difficult to stop reading this book. It takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. The book radiates so many different vibes with an underlying depressing theme. It portrays true love and makes you experience one aspect of it. A beautiful book indeed.

Ashley

August 10, 2020

Beautiful and sad. Loved this book. Parts of it reminded me of Swear on This Life by Renée Carlino and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, both books I recommend if you loved If Only. And that epilogue.. so good.

Wyatt

November 15, 2021

good book i liked . read this book its good

Quintin

December 05, 2018

Excellent!