Saving Grace by Darlene Ryan

Summary: Broken-hearted over having to give up her baby for adoption, Evie takes drastic action by taking Brianna from her adoptive parents and heading for Montreal. Hoping to start a new life with her boyfriend, Justin, and her daughter, Evie encounters roadblocks that she didn’t expect when Justin isn’t on board with her plan and taking care of Brianna is more difficult than she expected. When she finds herself alone with her child, she is faced with making a decision to follow her plans or act in Brianna’s best interests.

Number of Pages: 97

Age Range: 13-15

Review: Short and succinct, Saving Grace details the moment in Evie’s life when she grows up and puts someone else’s needs above her own. The beauty of this book is that the moment she makes that decision, she does become Brianna’s mom, even though it means Brianna will be going back to her adoptive parents.

I loved that Darlene Ryan manages to portray gradual and complete character development in the span of 97 pages. I was proud of Evie for making the choice that was in the best interest of her daughter, especially when she had so many reasons to try and keep Brianna for herself.

It just works. Another great book from the Orca Soundings collection that doesn’t sacrifice quality for the sake of brevity. I would definitely recommend this for reluctant female teen readers.

Memorable Quotes:

“But the best thing about her was her laugh. It would make you laugh too when you didn’t even know what was funny. I missed my mom laughing. Nobody laughed in my house after she died. My dad hardly even smiled.” – Evie from Saving Grace by Darlene Ryan, page 69

Saving Grace by Darlene Ryan is published by Orca Book Publishers (2006).
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