Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson

Grace Unplugged

Have you seen the movie? I haven’t, but I wanted to check out the book. I enjoy reading about musicians.

Let’s begin with the summary:

Grace Trey is an eighteen-year-old singer as passionate about her Christian faith as she is her phenomenal, God-given musical talent. Both traits come from her father, one-hit wonder Johnny Tray who found Jesus after losing his chart success two decades ago.

When Grace encounters her own music break of a lifetime, the sudden dive into the "real world" puts her deeper beliefs to the test. Pop superstardom is just within reach but appears to require some spiritual compromise. Will Grace reject her faith, or will she own it?

And now, my review:

Knowing my interest in music and songwriting, my friends who’d seen this movie, recommended I check it out. So, I started with the book. I wasn’t surprised to learn Melody Carlson had written the novelization. She’s the perfect choice, given her YA-writing expertise.

I was curious about the inspirational aspect of this story, and I wondered about the main character. It’s been a while since I’ve ready anything YA (young adult). Unfortunately, Grace, the main character, struck me as incredibly selfish, self-absorbed, and hard to like or respect. I couldn’t sympathize, which makes engaging with the story rather difficult. I’m planning to try the movie, as the main character’s flaws didn’t seem to block my friends’ recommendation or enjoyment of the film. I’m curious to hear from someone who has read the book and seen the movie as to their opinion. I know a novelization slows down the tempo of the story, allowing for deeper characterization. Perhaps that element is what didn’t work for this reader.

I know this—I’m glad whenever I find a story that includes Christian musicians. And it’s entirely possible that those who enjoy YA would hang in with this character to watch the arc. I’ll be watching for the DVD.