Amazing Grace

Title: Amazing Grace

Author: Megan Shull

Pages: 256

Hyperion Books for Children, 2006

Genre: Chick lit/Contemporary Fiction

Recommended to: Teenage girls, 13 and up

Rating: A+ 

Meet Grace Kincaid: at nearly sixteen, she's a multimillionaire teen tennis phenom who is used to constantly being followed by the press everywhere she goes, be it on the court or shopping on Madison Avenue. Constantly attending press conferences, appearing on television, and booking interviews, Grace (nicknamed "Ace" by her fans for her incredible talent and skill) has never experienced a normal childhood or teenage life, and she's tired of it. Then three words change everything. Three words, and she's freed from a life of perfect images, crazed paparazzi and screaming fans, freed from tennis-"I want out". In a single night, Grace changes her name to Emily O' Brien, disguises herself with a new hair color and attitude, and leaves behind the life she no longer wants, heading somewhere far, far away with former FBI agent Ava Grady where no one will find her...

   Welcome to Medicine Hat, Alaska, where Grace begins her new life in a log cabin with Ava complete with freezing cold showers and an outhouse practically a mile away from where she sleeps. At first Grace isn't so crazy about her new habitat, but then she's rescued from a crazy moose by a gorgeous native, and realizes that with this new romance heating up, a therapist who will listen to her, and a possible friendship with a girl who likes her for who she is, Grace discovers that a life lacking fame might not be so bad after all...

   I absolutely adored Megan Shull(author of the award-winning Skye O' Shea books)'s debut YA novel. I felt like I was actually in the story as I pictured Ava's perfectly-described cabin, the gorgeous (but cold) Alaskan wilderness, and all of the crazy things that Grace experiences in Medicine Hat. This novel is beautifully written, with well-described, realistic characters, a flowing, fast-paced plot, and a wonderful ending that will have readers hungry for more. Words cannot even explain how much I enjoyed this creative novel, and I can't wait to see what's next from the seemingly-talented chick lit author Megan Shull!

  (Sorry it took me so long to post the review; what with summer ending, it's been pretty busy!) 

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