Book Review: The Graces

The Graces

By: Laure Eve

Published By: Amulet Books

Publication Date: September 6, 2016

Page Count: 352

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via NetGalley

Audience: Young Adult - Paranormal

River is new in town and she's trying to find her niche. Like others in town, she finds herself enamored with The Graces, a trio of siblings that is glamorous and mysterious. The rumors around town claim that The Grace family are powerful witches. River decides she must find a way to connect herself to the family. She begins to study spells and to observe the siblings whenever possible. She eventually forms a friendship with Summer, the youngest Grace, and begins to spend more time around the family.

This novel's premise lured me in, but I had a lot of trouble reading this one. The prose is beautiful, but I had trouble connecting with River. She felt a bit stalkerish in her obsession with the various Graces. I never invested in any of the characters. There was nothing that made me care about them. 

I also found the beginning to be slow; it took quite awhile to get this story rolling at full speed. 

I did like that this novel was reminiscent in some ways of The Craft, a film that I loved as a teen. I think we can all relate to being on the outside looking in from time to time. 

I think this novel will find a readership, but with so many other things clamoring for my attention these days, I felt like reading this was more of a chore. I do feel like this is a case of "It's me, not you" in some ways. As such, I tried to rate the book with a balance of its merits and my apathetic response.  

One Last Gripe: I think this novel would have been stronger if the action had started sooner. 

Favorite Thing About This Book: the description of the setting - I loved the small town feeling

First Sentence: Everyone said they were witches.

Favorite Character: I honestly didn't like any of them enough to have a favorite.

Least Favorite Character: River

Summary:

In The Graces, the first rule of witchcraft states that if you want something badly enough, you can get it . . . no matter who has to pay.

 

Everyone loves the Graces. Fenrin, Thalia, and Summer Grace are captivating, wealthy, and glamorous. They’ve managed to cast a spell over not just their high school but also their entire town—and they’re rumored to have powerful connections all over the world. If you’re not in love with one of them, you want to be them. Especially River: the loner, new girl at school. She’s different from her peers, who both revere and fear the Grace family. She wants to be a Grace more than anything. And what the Graces don’t know is that River’s presence in town is no accident.

 

This fabulously addictive fantasy combines sophisticated and haunting prose with a gut-punching twist that readers will be dying to discuss. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars as well as nostalgic classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the 1996 movie The Craft, The Graces marks the beginning of a new wave of teen witches.