Review of Untraceable (The Nature of Grace Book # 1)

If you haven’t heard of S.R. Johannes in the world of young adult reading, you should. She is a fantastic writer who has just begun a series in the genre that truly delivers a magnificent and intriguing story. It follows the story of a young girl named Grace who lives in NC and mysteriously loses her father (who is a park ranger) without any evidence of his disappearance. Grace takes it amongst herself to investigate further following a few dead end leads of the local police department. First off before I go on any further, I’d like to make a disclaimer that I had no interest in this plot line at all at first. I’m honestly not a big camper slash wilderness person, but Johannes created a tale so engrossing that I had no choice but to get caught up in the plot line. She even adds some nice tidbits about hunting and tracking that were both cool and educational.

There are plenty of twists and turns and action to keep the average reader’s attention, but the skillful storytelling and creative wordplay and analogies by Johannes really set the tone and sucked me in. I truly wanted to know Grace and root for her during this time of loss. She is a strong young female character (16) that is smart and witty, struggling with normal teen hood issues, including a love triangle that sets the stage for a very cool series. How does it all end? Well, you will have to read it to find out (sorry no spoilers here). But trust me when I say, it will be worth the wait. Johannes’s second book is already out and I can’t wait to tear into it soon. I highly recommend Untraceable. It is a beautifully written story that young adults all around will thoroughly enjoy. 4/5 stars.