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michelleglogovac's review
5.0
A badass female heroine is what every good book needs and Grace is exactly that! We know from the cover alone that Gemma will end up on the steel, but the story of how she gets there and what she does once she makes it onto the Empire State Building is nothing short of miraculous.
Set in the 1930s during a time when most people were out of jobs, struggling to put food on their table and a roof over their heads, the O'Connell family is faced with more devastation after losing the father of the family when Grace loses her job and her twin brother, Patrick, has a mishap at his. This story looks at the love siblings have for each other and defines what empathy is when considering the struggles of those around you.
Many characters are faced with the question of how they will show up and help others when they themselves are in desperate need of help as well. This book is about family, love, dedication, friendship, loyalty and bravery.
I enjoyed this read and felt my stomach drop many times as I read about going up on the steel. Having been in the Empire State Building, I have a new appreciation for how it was built
Set in the 1930s during a time when most people were out of jobs, struggling to put food on their table and a roof over their heads, the O'Connell family is faced with more devastation after losing the father of the family when Grace loses her job and her twin brother, Patrick, has a mishap at his. This story looks at the love siblings have for each other and defines what empathy is when considering the struggles of those around you.
Many characters are faced with the question of how they will show up and help others when they themselves are in desperate need of help as well. This book is about family, love, dedication, friendship, loyalty and bravery.
I enjoyed this read and felt my stomach drop many times as I read about going up on the steel. Having been in the Empire State Building, I have a new appreciation for how it was built
beckyb16's review
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this one! Full of tense action and emotions. It gave such a good look into the time of the depression and the building of the Empire State Building.
haneyhayespr's review
4.0
Readers who appreciate stories of female empowerment, family loyalty, and the resilience of the human spirit will be swept away by the electrifying tale of a heartwarming and action-packed novel that explores the unbreakable bonds of sisterly love and the power of following one's heart.
sandysmith's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a wonderful debut novel by a woman living locally to me. Set in the 1930s in New York during the depression. The writing is accessible and easy to read. Obviously, it is well researched, and it is about the building of the Empire State Building and the conditions in which they worked. Working at heights without much safety of the workers considered. The main female character is Grace. Her and her twin brother Patrick contribute to their Irish family, their mother, and their poorly younger sister following the death of their father. Grace loses her job as a dancer, whilst Patrick damages his arm in an accident and he can no longer work. She impersonatines her brother joining his team of workers, including Joe, Frank, and Samual, as if one of the team can't work, the whole team is let go. I enjoyed the characters, and I loved Grace's development. Her fierce loyalty and love of her friends and family both hers and the work crew shines throughout. It's historical fiction at its finest. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Death of parent
thenightowlnook's review
5.0
Thank you @gallerybooks and @ for this free arc 💖.
✨What it is about:
Grace O’ Connell, a daring dancer must take her twin brother’s place as a riveter high atop the in-progress Empire State Building to save her family from ruin. ✨
💭My thoughts:
This is by far my favorite book of the year so far, and I have been reading some good ones! This was such a fantastic debut by Gemma Tizzard! I was captivated right from the prologue, and she kept my attention all through the story. WOW. I was glued to the pages, and I felt in my bones how Grace and her family navigated all their hardships, and how the Great Depression took its toll on them and New York City. Grace and her twin brother Patrick, having lost their father in a work accident, had to carry the load to keep themselves, as well as their sick sister Connie and their mother afloat. After Patrick suffers an accident at his job site, just after Grace lost her own job, they panic and come to the conclusion that the only way to get through this, is having Grace take her brother’s place at his job site until his body healed. Having no experience, and knowing the dangers of his job, Grace is terrified but decides to go for it. We get to see her whole journey, all their struggles, as well as their journey into becoming and accomplishing more than they thought they ever could.
I really loved the characters, and how well they all supported the story and each other. I loved the way the author captured their situation, as well as what was going on at that time, and how much it affected the people. This story truly shows the meaning and importance of family, friendship, respect, and sticking together, as well highlighting how big the sacrifices we make for those we love can be. This was so compelling, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend you pick this up.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read if you like:
🏗️Strong MFC
🏗️Twin shenanigans
🏗️1930s and Great Depression
🏗️New York settings
🏗️Irish-American representation
🏗️Fascinating reads
⚠️CW: Death of a parent (off the page), death at a job site(on the page), sexism.
rlavent's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
me_alley's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book is just like Mulan except if Mulan was named Grace and;
Instead of replacing her old dad as a soldier she replaced her twin brother with a broken arm
Instead of China it is America
Instead of the year 400 it is 1930
Instead of fighting a war she is being a riveter 300 feet in the sky, building the Empire State Building.
Instead of falling for her commanding officer she falls for her Italian co-worker Joe.
Much like Mulan, Grace dresses as a man in order to save the day. It is a good and memorable story and a solid effort from a debut author. I will say it is written very simply, probably at an 8th grade level. It reminds me of the old books based on the American girl dolls.
Boy it is a good thing we have OSHA and Unions. Otherwise we would all be dead. I adore the Empire State Building and I am eternally grateful for my great grandfather who poured the steel in Pittsburgh to create it, and the riveters and connectors who put the whole thing together.
Thank you to @gallerybooks for this #gifted book #partner.
Instead of replacing her old dad as a soldier she replaced her twin brother with a broken arm
Instead of China it is America
Instead of the year 400 it is 1930
Instead of fighting a war she is being a riveter 300 feet in the sky, building the Empire State Building.
Instead of falling for her commanding officer she falls for her Italian co-worker Joe.
Much like Mulan, Grace dresses as a man in order to save the day. It is a good and memorable story and a solid effort from a debut author. I will say it is written very simply, probably at an 8th grade level. It reminds me of the old books based on the American girl dolls.
Boy it is a good thing we have OSHA and Unions. Otherwise we would all be dead. I adore the Empire State Building and I am eternally grateful for my great grandfather who poured the steel in Pittsburgh to create it, and the riveters and connectors who put the whole thing together.
Thank you to @gallerybooks for this #gifted book #partner.
chloeivyrose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0