Sydney W., Annapolis High School
Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton follows three teenagers in the town of Three Graces, a town which made a bargain with the devil to ensure their own safety. No one gets sick, injuries heal overnight, and prosperity comes easy. But to uphold their end of the devil’s bargain, every seven years, on the Slaughter Moon, the town must send their best boy into the devil’s forest as a sacrifice to appease the devil. Some survive their one-night run through the forest, but most die to uphold the bargain. The plot follows three friends: Mairwen, a witch whose family is descended from the person who originally started the bargain; Rhun, the most-likely candidate for the next sacrifice; and Arthur, an outcast who’s hell bent on becoming the best boy, even though no one thinks he has the ability. Together, they all become tied to the devil, his bargain, and the mystery that lies behind it all.
This book took me by surprise in the best way possible. It grows more and more captivating as you read and each time you think something is going to happen, something else even better than you expected happens instead. The characters are vivid, and their relationships with each other are portrayed beautifully. It’s such a unique concept and it only gets deeper as the book goes on.
The only downside that I found in this book was that it starts a little slowly, but that just helps the suspense build up more and more until the impact of twists later.
I would give this book five out of five stars. I went into it with low expectations and it completely blew me away. The concept, the twists, the plot, the good portrayal of a polyamorous relationship, everything. This book I would definitely recommend to anyone over the age of 15 or so, since it has some violent and gruesome content, and to people who like fantasy, captivating characters and good polyamorous and queer representation.
Click here to check out Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton.