Book Review: State of Grace by Hilary Badger

State of Grace by Hilary Badger
Format: eBook from NetGalley
Release Date: October 1st, 2014

Ever since she was created, Wren has lived in an idyllic garden with her friends. Wren's deity Dot ensures the trees are laden with fruit and the water in the lagoon is crystal clear. Wren and her friends have everything they could possibly need right there, in Dot's Paradise.

If only Wren could stop the strange, disturbing visions she's started having. Do these visions make her less worthy of Dot's love? And what does Blaze, the most beautiful and mysterious of Dot's creations, know about what's going on in Wren's head?

Wren is desperate to feel Dot's love, just like everyone else. But that's harder than ever when a creation she's never met before arrives in the garden. He claims to be from outside and brings with him words and ideas that make Wren's brain hurt.

Gradually Wren and Blaze uncover the truth: they're part of a clinical trial of an ominous drug called Grace.

And as she deals with this disturbing knowledge, Wren confronts a horrific secret from her past. Now she must decide whether to return to the comforting delusion of faith or fight for the right to face the very ugly truth.

 This is a fairly unique book in the sense that you're almost encouraged to think about another form of way of living. We clearly know how we live our own lives - after all, for the most part, it's monotonous and repetitive. 

With Wren, she only know one thing: her deity Dot and following Dot's book. That's all she has. That's all she knows. But she's not the only one - she lives with a group of people her age that abide by the same book. They follow the similar routine over and over again. Everyone is hoping for Dot's love and affection. They all want to be the special one out of the group. 

It all remains the same until something changes for Wren - strange visions of things she doesn't know and shouldn't know because she has never seen them before. But, in her heart, she know she does... even if she doesn't know why. Her worry strengthens when Blaze, one of her friends, knows what's going on with her strange dreams. But... it had to be just a test, right? A test to prove to Dot that she truly is as Dotly as she seems. A test that, in her heart, she must pass. Even when it becomes even more complicated with a new person in the picture. They know nothing of Wren's world, or who Dot really is, but it's only a test. It's only a test.

... right?

This story seems fairly simple at first but it does slowly turn into something quite intense. To some it may start off slow but, to me, I felt like it was the right pace. In fact, I found myself following in Wren's footsteps and believing Dot's book of rules. It just felt like the kind of world that I would like to live in - it felt so peaceful and relaxing. Who wouldn't want that?

We get to learn a whole lot about Wren but, in terms of characterization, we don't get to know much about everyone else. I guess that's not too surprising... if you make it to the end, you'll understand why. Still, I felt for Wren and she broke my heart.

If you want something different from your usual books, I highly recommend giving this book a try.