From Amazon:
Ava Sanford longs to be known as more than the pastor's kid. When the opportunity arises to study abroad in Scotland, she jumps at the chance to leave the Texas coast and the pressures of Grace Church behind. But she never meant to leave God, too.
Her roommate's partying lifestyle promises the fun Ava has been missing out on—until a traumatic assault leaves her faith and pride in ruins. As her life in Scotland begins to crumble, rumors race back home, threatening her relationships with her family and friends, including Jack Shields.
A former athlete, Jack keeps his head down, working through college and coasting through life. After losing both his mother and his scholarships, he knows the things you love can disappear at any moment. But when his best friend seems to be next, the nonchalance and security he carefully guards are broken. Fighting for Ava will mean risking it all, and he can't do it alone. Only God can show them both how far grace can go.
While they're resolved in the end, and the discussion questions bring out the complicated interpretations of scripture, there was a large portion of the book that felt like it was blaming Ava as the victim, that she was really condemned. A lot of that could be seen as how she was processing things in her head, but it felt dangerously critical. And even though the assault was not actually her fault, and not a foregone conclusion based on her choices, there was no real focus on her bad choices leading up to the trauma. There were no hangovers from the drinking, no missed classes, no concerned friends as witnesses. There were several characters who could have had more depth, but didn't feel fleshed out.
Dealing with such a heavy topic is tricky. I feel that this one didn't give enough hope or grace to encourage a reader to make it to the resolution where she finds that she is worthy of love.
You can find Outside of Grace HERE.
You can find the author HERE.
I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.
