Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Crown
Release date: May 19th, 2015
ISBN: 9780553446616
As a Gracekeeper, Callanish administers shoreside burials, sending the dead to their final resting place deep in the depths of the ocean. Alone on her island, she has exiled herself to a life of tending watery graves as penance for a long-ago mistake that still haunts her. Meanwhile, North works as a circus performer with the Excalibur, a floating troupe of acrobats, clowns, dancers, and trainers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance.
In a world divided between those inhabiting the mainland ("landlockers") and those who float on the sea ("damplings"), loneliness has become a way of life for North and Callanish, until a sudden storm offshore brings change to both their lives--offering them a new understanding of the world they live in and the consequences of the past, while restoring hope in an unexpected future. Inspired in part by Scottish myths and fairytales, The Gracekeepers tells a modern story of an irreparably changed world: one that harbors the same isolation and sadness, but also joys and marvels of our own age.
I really expected to enjoy this book. It sounded like it had some kind of creepy circus and maybe some death and gore. What I got was a confusing story that was all over the place and just couldn't keep my interest. I barely made it to the hundredth page and at that point I couldn't care less what happened to the characters. I felt I had no choice but to DNF the book.
The whole concept of landlockers and damplings confused me. How is it possible that damplings are so looked down upon and yet they made the choice to be that. At any time they could have just built a house on an island and changed society's whole outlook on them. Overall it didn't make sense for me and I was utterly confused reading it.
Since I DNF-ed it, you should not really put much thought into my review. I know that quite a few people really enjoyed it but I also know that a lot of people found it to be pretty confusing, me among them. I've heard some people compare it to the Night Circus which I have never even heard of, but I'm assuming that if you enjoyed that one you will enjoy this one too.
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This I have given in my review above.***
So sorry you didn't like it, never heard of it myself but I did just recently came across a review for Night Circus that made me curious so I added it to my TBR list. I may eventually give The Gracekeepers a try, it does sound interesting. Thanks for your honest review.
ReplyDeleteIf you do end up reading the Gracekeepers, let me know if you enjoy it! I'm kind of curious to see how many other people like it and if they find it to be confusing like I did.
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