The State of Grace

Gr 7 Up—Grace has Asperger's syndrome, which makes navigating the social labyrinth of high school challenging. Understanding her family is just as tricky with her dad away on a filming assignment, her mom rekindling a relationship with a college friend, and her sister, Leah, withdrawing from her friends and being secretive. On the upside, things with her best friend have never been better, she still has her beloved horse, and it seems as though Gabe, the cute boy in school, has a romantic interest in Grace. In an effort to impress Gabe and his friends, Grace decides to takes a risk with her horse, which turns into a disaster. That same night, Leah's mysterious behavior comes to light, and suddenly Grace is having a full meltdown. While shipped off to her grandmother's to recover, she is convinced that she is all alone after the mistakes she has made. The plot moves along at an easy pace and Grace's voice is authentic and witty, giving readers a relatable and sympathetic protagonist.