“A Change of Grace” is one of the first Hanson fiction stories that I ever read, and it‘s one of the best, if not the best. It’s one of those stories that prove that not all Hanson fiction stories are merely the writer’s fantasies about their favorite Hanson boy. So many people have that misconception about Hanfic, and it‘s true a lot of the time, but I dare say that even Hanson might enjoy reading this story.

In a way, it’s a coming of age story. It’s about a boy who has lost his way, and through an amazing adventure, finds himself again.

It begins in modern day New York (1999) at the Trump Hotel, and Taylor and Isaac Hanson have a heated argument. At sixteen, Taylor is feeling the effects of stardom in the worst way. In the words of his brother, he’s become “nothing but a stuck up, selfish asshole”. This angers Taylor, and he leaves in a huff. He goes for a walk in Central Park, and that’s where the story really begins.

As he leans on a tree in the park, dozing, something strange happens. A silver glow surrounds him and he disappears. When he wakes, he finds that nothing is the same anymore. The park is different, the city is different, and his home is gone. He soon finds out that he has awaken in the year 1883.

What happens while he’s there is a whirlwind adventure. Taylor has been brought back in time by timekeepers, Karen and Benjamin, who tell him that they need him to save two souls. With much prodding, a petulant Taylor takes on the task; and in the process, finds himself enjoying primitive New York and making friends with his own ancestors.

To tell you much more would be to ruin the story, but the joy of the story is not only in the time travel or the sci-fi aspect of it all. A big part of the joy is in the deep friendships that develop between the characters. Sheryl makes you really feel that these characters care about each other, and that makes the reader care. And that is really what storytelling is all about.

There are some things in the story that confused me a bit and could have been (or maybe should have been) made more clear; but I found myself so caught up in it all that it didn’t really matter. Other than that, the only gripe I have is the format. The paragraphs run together, which can be confusing at times. That could be easily remedied with a little time and effort, though. The story itself is practically flawless.

I have read a lot of Hanson stories, and none have touched me quite the way this one has. It pulled me right in from the first paragraph, kept me interested through the middle, and could not have ended more perfectly.

Sheryl is a fantastic writer. “A Change of Grace” is so good that I almost forgot that I was reading a fan fiction. Let me clarify, lest I offend. I love fan fiction. Fan fiction can be very good. But sometimes it can be exceptionally great. And this one falls in the latter category.