The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan

Publication Date:  May 19, 2015
Publisher:  Crown
Pages:  320
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Magical Realism/Fantasy
Synopsis:  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. 

Review:  To put it simply, The Gracekeepers is a peculiar book.  I'm not actually quite sure what it is I just read, other than the fact that it is strange.  

The writing itself is not impressive, although also not distinctly lacking.  It is everything else that is rather one-dimensional, made up of bits and pieces of half formed wisps of ideas that are not developed or expanded on in the grand scheme of the novel.  

With glitter in their blood, coals in their chests, choking on their secrets, they sailed into the night.

This world, whether entirely separate from our own, or an alternate reality, or a futuristic society (it is never quite clear), is missing a lot of substance.  It's like a puzzle where half of the pieces have disappeared.  You see some aspects of the cultures and traditions, and even hints of political schemes...and yet none of it is explained any further, leaving you at a complete and utter loss.  It is such a unique and fascinating world that you are never given more than a glimpse into.

The plot, or lack thereof, is unbelievably slow.  The introduction seems to exceed more than half of the book, and even then there is no clear line of events.  Things happen, especially in the last few chapters, but nothing ever seems to progress.  Moreover, it ends in a rush that leaves no room for closure and is unfortunately weak.

Spectacle is grounded in the illusion of control.

The main cast of characters traverse the world as "damplings," the population that lives at sea rather than on land.  Oh, and they also happen to be in a circus.  North, the protagonist for a good half of the novel, is the girl who trains and performs with a bear. She is as normal as you can get in this world, although she, along with many of the others in her circus, are void of personality.  At least North, unlike the ringmaster or his family, has more than a singular motivation defining them.  

Callanish, the second foremost protagonist, is by far the most fleshed out of them all, yet you still never seem to fully grasp her story.  She tends to be rather reserved and stoic, but is hiding a potentially dangerous secret that is partly the cause of her isolation as a "gracekeeper," sending the dead back to the sea.  It is an intriguing occupation for an intriguing girl in an equally intriguing world.  However, even facets of her story are left without elaboration.   

We don't belong anywhere, because we can belong everywhere.

It is very rare that I look back on a book and wonder what the point of it existing was. While The Gracekeepers is whimsical and even disturbing at times, it doesn't provide any strong impact to keep you thinking.  It simply is.   

It would be safe to say I am a tad disappointed in this one.  I wanted more out of it--less loose ends and more coherent thought.  It has the potential to present such a bizarre, puzzling story, and yet it fails to live up to that potential.  I wanted more out of this--more plot, character development, world building...just more than its singular and perpetual existence as a concept rather than a rich, detailed story.