“In the county, there’s nothing more dangerous than a woman who speaks her mind. That’s what happened to Eve, you know, why we were cast out from heaven. We’re dangerous creatures. Full of devil charms. If given the opportunity, we will use our magic to lure men to sin, to evil, to destruction.” My eyes are getting heavy, too heavy to roll in a dramatic fashion. “That’s why they send us here.”
“To rid yourself of your magic,” he says.
“No,” I whisper as I drift off to sleep. “To break us.”

As I started reading The Grace Year, I had no idea what to expect. In all honesty my expectations were blown away right as the plot thickened. A patriarchal society, magical girls and a government who pays to have their own daughter killed and a young girl who doesn't believe in it all ready to put this so called Grace Year behind. Tierney James is like no other girl in the small county of Garner. As she is sent to her Grace Year she promises to herself and her family to come out alive, she is not prepared to unleash the secrets of a destructive and patriarchal society.

The Grace Year has a lot of meaning behind the words of Kim Liggett, on the surface there's a story of a girl who is misunderstood and judged for not wanting to get married and not desired to uphold community standards. While others dream to wed, Tierney prefers to have a long life working in the fields. However, the men in her life won't allow that. As her Grace Year begins and so does the veiling ceremony (a special event where the girls get veiled to their proposed husband), her life takes a turn as her best friend and future governor of the county veils her promising a life as a wife. Everything she dreaded.

With this she sets out into her Grace Year a long with 30 or so other girls of her community. As the town believes that girls have power and magic powerful enough to lure men into doing things they don't want to do, they are sent out into the woods to exorcise this magic out of their systems. When all is done in a years time they come back to the county ready for a life as a wife or as a worker. However, not everyone comes back. And as no girl ever speaks about the Grace Year there is no knowing what really occurs, only that dangerous poachers lure the woods trying to kill and mutilate these magical girls.

Tierney feels ready to storm off poachers, however soon enough she realizes not everything is as it seems and that the real danger comes from the girls within not the men outside the thick walls of their encampment.

A strong novel of womanhood, love and resilience this story is really unlike any I have ever read before. Our main character is delightful to read as she uncovers lie after lie and ends up falling in love with a poacher. With this she starts learning all the secrets her society has build up to reprimand girls and keep them out of power, allowing men to be the all powerful.

The love story is short yet holds so much meaning. The same goes for the relationship between the girls in the encampment. In a more deeper meaning, showing the division that sometimes exists between women even in modern times causing them to not be equals to men. As they rage in jealousy and fight against each other, it shows the reality of a humanity that shouldn't be.

The ending is also powerful, an open ending like no other. Leaving you in a way with a ton of unanswered questions. However, I think that was the point. As Liggett discusses one of societies biggest concerns of women equality, it is also up to the reader to realize the importance of this issue and with this finishing of the story with questions. Because the issue of women inequality hasn't been solved.

Amazing, 100% recommended.

--- 4.5 stars ---

The Grace Year was one of my most anticipated books of the year. It did not disappoint, it was very satisfying. This book was very intense, I was wondering what was going to happen from page one. If you like dystopian literature, you will probably enjoy this book. It takes place in Garner County where when a girl turns 16 she is banished for a year to get rid of her “magic”. The book centers around Tierney who has been taught different life skills growing up than all of the other girls. So when she gets to the place of banishment, she is well prepared to help all of the other girls survive. But there are other forces at work that are “possessing” the other girls. This book took a look at female relationships and how women can sometimes treat other women when threatened. Please take note that this book is pretty violent, but seems real and scary.

This book blew me away. It even gave me goosebumps and brought me to tears. I was gripped from the very beginning. It's been a long while since a book was able to keep me up until the wee hours of the morning. I just couldn't stop reading. The world building was superb. The characters were deep. The story had me gripped until the very end. I can't wait to get my hands on another Kim Liggett book!

Let's be frank: the plot of this book is grim and cruel. There's blatant death and violence. Liggett doesn't hold back in portraying repression and the cruelty women inflict upon one another. This is a society where females have absolutely no freedom. They can't even have friendships. So, when they are given a year of absolute freedom, they turn on each other rather than banding together and fighting their oppression. They wield their small amount of power as a weapon against their peers. I got a little frustrated by all of the twists, the ways that the plot seems to constantly circle back on itself. The ending isn't neat and tidy but rather a first step towards change for the future.

I received a free copy of the ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


After rave reviews and hearing great things, I was eager but intimidated to read this book. I am glad I read it, and do not feel people should be intimidated. I would recommend this book to many, but especially to young women. It's important we see in others more than our preconceived judgements, and try not to pit ourselves against each other; to be better as a community. Tierney learns that in this book. The ending turned out better than I was anticipating. I wish I had gotten a chance to peer into some of the other characters' points of view or their stories and ideas, but it wasn't crucial to Tierney's journey.

"The Grace Year" was a wonderful book; 4.5 stars. It has elements of The Handmaid's Tale, The Scarlet Letter, the Bible, Lord of the Flies, and Hunger Games, among others. The plot was creative. In Garner County, there are very strict rules governing conduct, especially for the women and girls of the County. Punishments are conducted in public, to set an example for others, and if your sin is great enough, you are banished to the outskirts. The people of Garner County believe that women are possessed with magical power that can be used to poison the minds of the men and boys of the County, along with other women, and make them engage in deviant behavior (the original sin of Eve infecting all women). Therefore, every year, all of the girls in the County who are sixteen are banished to a compound on an island where they are to release their magic into the wild before being allowed to return to civilization (i.e., Garner County). This is called their "grace year", although there is no grace involved. Many of the girls will be captured by poachers, beaten and tortured (because that apparently enhances the power of the magic that resides in them) and then killed and cut into small pieces that will be placed in bottles and sold back to Garner County. Those girls who survive the year will return physically and mentally damaged, possibly missing body parts, likely malnourished, emotionally broken, and more docile/subservient. The "lucky" ones will have been chosen as brides-to-be by the eligible single men of influence in the County (or chosen as the replacement bride if the bride-to-be does not survive her grace year). The other girls will become laborers. If a grace year girl fails to return and her body is not returned by the poachers (each girl is marked with the sigil of her father), the girl's family will be punished, with younger siblings banished to the outskirts.

Among the girls facing their grace year this time is Tierney, the middle sister of five girls, who has no interest in being a wife or mother and spends much of her time in the woods (her father has taught her a variety of skills considered more appropriate for the boys) and away from the other girls and adults in the County; the quintessential tomboy. As a result, she is considered somewhat strange, and certainly not "marriage" material, and she already plans to work in the fields upon completing her grace year. However, to the surprise of everyone, especially Tierney, her childhood best friend, Michael, who is set to be the head of the Council who runs Garner County and who everyone expects will chose Kiersten, the "Queen Bee" of the teenage girls, as his wife, chooses Tierney. This is not an auspicious start for the grace year for Tierney, as it wrecks her plans, and it makes her a target for the powerful, vindictive, and highly persuasive Kiersten, who seeks to get her revenge.

Life on the island for the grace year girls is rather unpleasant, as conditions are sub par, some girls are lost or killed in the early days, factions develop, with Tierney definitely on "the outs", and as the girls become more feral, ill, and mentally unhinged. Events force Tierney to flee and to exchange one dangerous environment for another. However, as she endeavors to stay alive, she discovers that a lot of things she thought she knew about Garner County, the grace year, the outskirts, the poachers, etc. was incomplete or incorrect. One of the best aspects of the book is the growth in Tierney as she discovers how much she did not understand or know about how Garner County functions, the interactions between the "civilized" and "uncivilized", what makes the grace year so devastating, how much she has missed "seeing" by trying to separate herself from the others growing up, and the true "magic" that she and the other women possess. I would highly recommend reading this book.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Kim Liggett weaves an incredible tale that I could not put down. The main character Tierney's story made me rage, cry, cheer, and most of all, relate. Although this story is set in an alternate reality, if you've ever lived one minute as a female, you know the reality is not so alternate at all. This is a book I will be talking about for a long time.

This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down. It went everywhere with me. To the doctors office, the dentist, the eye doctor. IT WENT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. I was so sad when it ended that I immediately went and bought more books from this author!

It was hard to read this and not feel a familiarity to a lot of other dystopian books -- specifically The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies and The Handmaid's Tale. Everything I love about those dystopian novels built a strong foundation for this very dark and very infuriating story to grow. A mix of desperate survival and horror, it was very well balanced and well paced and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

There is something so utterly terrifying to me about setting a bunch of teen girls loose in the wilderness. That guttural mean-girl instinct is a force to be reckoned with and witnessing the manipulative power struggle and slow progression into a bit of madness was frightening. The things they were doing to each other… was hard to stomach, which is putting it lightly.

I liked Tierany as a lead. Though sometimes she swayed a bit too far to the side of "I'm so different and can't understand how anyone could like me", her character grew on me the more I got to know her and the more I got to see her actions and reactions to the taunting and obstacles that plagued her. I enjoyed her headstrong, logical approach to a lot of the situations she found herself in and I was absolutely rooting for her through this whole book. The way she remained levelheaded and strong willed and did what she thought was best even in situations where people didn’t deserve it – she was a great character.

There was a vast supporting cast of characters who all seemed to fit very nicely into expected stereotypes (the Queen B, the outcast promiscuous one, the mousy and weak one etc), but with the exception of Kiersten and Gertie, you really didn’t learn a whole lot about anyone else. They were all sort of interchangeable and pretty much all the same. This added to the hive mentality, how they all just sort of followed the leader, especially through the dark parts, but it would have been nice to see a bit more diversity among the group.

Of course there's a bit of a love story here, that was expected, and there isn’t anything all that surprising about it, but I quite liked the dynamic of it; the mystery and tension and uncertainty of it, not to mention Tierany's absolute disinterest in anything but survival and her successful avoidance of the dreaded insta-love. That made this all the more intriguing and enjoyable to witness. I think this part might have gone on a bit longer than necessary, but it was a nice warm comforting hug in the middle of all this other horrible madness, so I let it slide.

What I absolutely loved most about this entire book was the emotional depths that were exposed in these women. You saw the very dark and ugly sides, the jealousy, the manipulation, even the violence. Things got really dark and gory and nauseating. But somehow, seeded in all that, there was hope and a fierce determination for survival and for change. That hope grew into a collective understanding and empowerment that highlighted the relationships and friendships between all the women in this book, not just the Grace Year girls, and banded them together against all odds. There is a moment toward the end where all of this fully blossoms and it straight up gave me chills, it was so damn awesome.

I didn’t want this book to end. I want more of that feeling and more of this story. It was well worth the wait and if this story were to continue in another book, I’ll be the first in line to get it.

Title: The Grace Year
Author: Kim Liggett
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5

When they turn sixteen, girls in Garner County are told they come into their magic. They have power over men and power to drive other women mad with jealousy. Which is why they are banished to the wilderness for a year: to get rid of their magic and return ready to be wives. No one speaks of the Grace Year. It is forbidden. No one knows what happens there.

Tierney James hates how things are. She hates how women turn on each other and how men have all the power. She just wants to survive her Grace Year and get on with her life. She knows she’ll never be a wife, so survival is her goal. But soon she realizes there is more to fear than the wilderness, or even the poachers who fight to steal any of the girls and sell their parts on the black market.

The real danger may lie in each other.

This book. This book. I’ve seen comparisons to The Handmaid’s Tale, and it does have that sort of feel. But I didn’t care for that novel, and I loved this one. This society was horrifying to me. Women are worse than second-class citizens, but even worse than that was the way they treated each other. They are truly horrible to each other—and it made me almost nauseous to read.

This is a tale full of darkness and danger, mistakes and madness, but it’s a tale of hope nonetheless, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Kim Liggett left the rural Midwest for New York City when she was sixteen. The Grace Year is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books via Netgalley in exchange for

Holy Smokes! This story will keep your heart pounding from start to finish. Everyone should read this book! I say we should toss out the <u>Lord of the Flies</u> and make this required reading in every high school!

The feminist in me kept grinding my teeth in outrage as I read this fascinating dystopian tale about oppression, superstition, ignorance and fear. <u>The Grace Year</u> may well be what the future holds in store for ALL of us - and not just the female population - if we continue to allow others to think for us, to tell us what is right and wrong or acceptable. Tolerance and compassion were in very short supply in Tierney's dystopian world where a husband could decide to send his wife to the gallows or have her burned at the stake simply by accusing her of "using her magic." Even dreaming was forbidden.

This socio-politcal commentary hits too close to home: there are parts of our world where people are still treated in this manner. The horrific bullying scenes that occurred in the encampment are just another example of what happens to certain people who are given too much unchecked power. I was constantly reminded of the Stanford Experiment (see this link: https://www.prisonexp.org/) where a group of psychology students learned firsthand how too much power or privilege can ultimately corrupt you.

I found that parts of this story were brilliantly written, but I also felt that certain parts of the novel needed a bit more "fleshing out." Don't get me wrong, I was utterly enthralled by the writing in this novel, but a few sections of the story seemed a bit aimless and repetitive.. For example, Tierney was raised as a tomboy by her indulgent father, and yet she was not able to trap animals for food or build a shelter for herself when she had to flee to the wooded section of the encampment. She was able to build barrels for rainwater, but seemed to have forgotten all of the skills her father taught her. She was such a sitting duck, I kept thinking. Also, Tierney's feelings for Ryker seemed to blossom in just a few paragraphs. Yes, I get that Ryjker was totally there for her, but the brief span of time during which much of this part of the action occurs made it hard for me to suspend my disbelief and accept that Tierney the Terrible had developed such a passionate love for this dark silent character that was was all dark scary eyes and covered in filthy shroud. All through the novel, Tierney had scorned becoming a wife, - a man's possession, but now she fully embraced the possibility of it with Ryker. It was Tierney who kept reminding herself: he was the Poacher and she the Prey. (Just sayin'!)

I also couldn't figure out why Kiersten, who was painted with such an evil brush - even before the trip to the encampment - and who was directly responsible for so much bloodshed and death, did such an about face towards the end. I am all for forgiveness and redemption/rehabilitation, but again I don't see how Kiersten could so easily change her tune like that. And yes, that scene where Tierney decides to pick up a hunk of wood and refuse to allow the women to be victimized any longer was inspiring - and long overdo. Not sure if the editors interfered here. I myself was ready to get all “Stanford guard” on Kriesten: but I suppose maybe that was the author's point? We have to pull back from that lynch mob mentality and let sanity prevail. But still!!!!

My heart broke time and again for Tierney's childhood friend, Michael. Poor devoted guy!!! He was such a loyal, decent character. I was sobbing at the end - more for Michael than for that last visual. Heck, I'm still sniffling and hiccuping into a tissue. Such a brutally beautiful story - if such a thing is possible. You have to read this to understand what I mean.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Holy Smokes! This story will keep your heart pounding from start to finish. Everyone should read this book! I say we should toss out the <u>Lord of the Flies</u> and make this required reading in every high school!

The feminist in me kept grinding my teeth in outrage as I read this fascinating dystopian tale about oppression, superstition, ignorance and fear. <u>The Grace Year</u> may well be what the future holds in store for ALL of us - and not just the female population - if we continue to allow others to think for us, to tell us what is right and wrong or acceptable. Tolerance and compassion were in very short supply in Tierney's dystopian world where a husband could decide to send his wife to the gallows or have her burned at the stake simply by accusing her of "using her magic." Even dreaming was forbidden.

This socio-politcal commentary hits too close to home: there are parts of our world where people are still treated in this manner. The horrific bullying scenes that occurred in the encampment are just another example of what happens to certain people who are given too much unchecked power. I was constantly reminded of the Stanford Experiment (see this link: https://www.prisonexp.org/) where a group of psychology students learned firsthand how too much power or privilege can ultimately corrupt you.

I found that parts of this story were brilliantly written, but I also felt that certain parts of the novel needed a bit more "fleshing out." Don't get me wrong, I was utterly enthralled by the writing in this novel, but a few sections of the story seemed a bit aimless and repetitive.. For example, Tierney was raised as a tomboy by her indulgent father, and yet she was not able to trap animals for food or build a shelter for herself when she had to flee to the wooded section of the encampment. She was able to build barrels for rainwater, but seemed to have forgotten all of the skills her father taught her. She was such a sitting duck, I kept thinking. Also, Tierney's feelings for Ryker seemed to blossom in just a few paragraphs. Yes, I get that Ryjker was totally there for her, but the brief span of time during which much of this part of the action occurs made it hard for me to suspend my disbelief and accept that Tierney the Terrible had developed such a passionate love. she had scorned becoming a wife, but now fully embraced the possibility of it with Ryker. As she kept reminding herself, he was the Poacher and she the Prey. I also couldn't figure out why Kiersten, who was painted with such an evil brush and was directly responsible for so much bloodshed, decided to do an about face towards the end. I am all for forgiveness and redemption/rehabilitation, but again I don't see how Kiersten could so easily change her tune like that. Not sure if the editors interfered here. I myself was ready to get all “Stanford guard” on Kriesten: but I suppose maybe that was the author's point? We have to pull back from that lynch mob mentality and let sanity prevail. But still!!!!

My heart broke time and again for Tierney's childhood friend, Michael. Poor devoted guy!!! He was such a loyal, decent man. I was sobbing at the end - more for Michael than for that last visual. Heck, I'm still sniffling. Such a brutally beautiful story - if such a thing is possible. You have to read this to understand what I mean.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing story! Incredibly creative story line. The characters were rich and complex. I stayed up all night reading and couldn’t put it down til I was done!

Tierney has always been thirsty for information about the Grace Year. It is forbidden to speak of the year in which all sixteen-year-old girls are banished to the wilderness to survive the elements, the poachers, and each other as they wait for their magic to dissipate. Grace Year girls return each spring, filthy and broken, fully purified of any magic, and ready to wed the young men waiting for them. Tierney doesn’t expect to receive a veil, a symbol of a promise of marriage, before she goes, but one comes to her from the most unexpected person, making her a target for the meanest girl in her year, who quickly becomes the group’s leader. And as Tierney begins to piece together the history of the Grace Year, the trials and tribulations endured by each new crop of girls, the mythology of the Year and the magic that it encompasses, it becomes increasingly clear that the Grace Year and its history hide some major secrets.

Creepy feminist speculative fiction - The Grace Year was a page turner, full of intrigue, mystery, and all of the anti-female speculative elements that a novel can serve up. The concept of the Grace Year packs such a punch that it will intrigue most teen readers. The girls disappear for a year, come back bedraggled, and are forbidden to speak of any of it. They are actively hunted by poachers who have personal vendettas against the County the girls come from as a result of being outcasts themselves. These elements are perfect fodder for the many teen readers who want dark, horror-adjacent books that don’t hit too close to home, though those who can empathize with the banished girls are the most likely to truly connect with this story. I rolled my eyes briefly at a predictably unpredictable romance mid-novel, as may your strongest feminist readers, but the inclusion of the relationship did add some exciting dramatic elements to the climax. And the story concluded in a satisfying manner, nearly making me forget that the romance had ever occurred. Hand it to anyone who mentions that they watched The Handmaid’s Tale but hasn’t yet read the book.

I started this book. Found it too slow after some pages and abandoned it for a few weeks. Afterwards, I started seeing it mentioned all over the Internet as one of the best new stories you could put your hands on. Got back to it and… couldn’t stop until the ending. At 6AM… Daaaamn, what I was about to miss if I didn’t give it a second chance!

I honestly thought that I’ve read so many Young Adult dystopian novels for the last few years that there’s no chance of any new book of this type to still surprise me or get me hooked up. That’s pretty much what I had in mind when I started The Grace Year and the slow paced beginning didn’t really encourage me to change my opinion. I’m so grateful that I trusted those articles saying that you shouldn’t miss this book!

Slowly, the classical story of the rebellious girl who opposes the traditional and over controlling society starts to grow new and surprising threads and lets you uncover hidden meanings. Perhaps the storyline doesn’t differ so much from other books of this kind. But there’s so much more depth between the pages, so much freedom to choose whatever you wish to understand from it, so much pain and hope and happiness and destruction, all of them entwined together, all of them starting to gradually flow through your blood stream. Moreover, the most important and impressive fights are not the ones with other people or with the horrific system, but the internal ones, with your own beliefs, with everything that you grew up to have faith in and that is slowly shattering behind your eyes.

“Your eyes are wide open, but you see nothing.” This is what the story is about. About getting out of your comfort zone, opening your mind and seeing the verity against all odds, letting go of all the pride and certainty that what you know is what the truth really is. Because that’s the hardest fight you could ever win and some of us never do.

The book is violent and bitter, with small moments of hope that sparkle like lost fireflies in the darkest night. Even the ending, although you might call it a somewhat happy ending, is not bringing any miraculous changes. But it does leave traces of hope: of a better life, of a better society, of hidden kindness that lies within the people you wouldn’t expect and in the most unforeseen places. And sometimes, this is the best we can do and the most realistic aspiration that humanity could have.

Tierney believes shes not like other girls. She prefers the woods to the market and wishes to avoid the one thing women are suppose to strive for in her county, marriage. Its only during her grace year that she realized they're all dealing with the same injustices in their own way, and that self preservation is a strong motivator. In a village where women are hanged for the smallest offense doing what is expected of them might feel like the only option. Despite what the other men in the county believe, Tierneys father taught her some wilderness skills and that knowledge came in handy when she was secluded on an island for her grace year. What I dont undestand is why he didnt do that for his other daugthers. I thought it was sweet how Tierneys mother and sister June tried to help her in little ways, but I still think her mother should have prepared her a bit more. I know if it was my daugther I would have shared as much information as possible even if it was forbidden.

I did have a difficult time remembering who the other grace year girls were, except for the main characters closest friend Gertie, and the bully of the group Kiersten. It didnt help that the names had changed from the review copy to the audiobook. Im not even sure what they look like either. Gertie had a quiet strength about her that I really admired and I loved seeing her open up to Tierney. I didnt like the girl on girl hate, but it does get addressed. Under their circumstances its not wholly unrealistic for them to take out their fears and anger out on each other. With so many people dying I was very happy the queer character didnt get a terrible ending. I wasnt impressed with Tierneys best friend Micheal when he said he used up all his goodwill on Tierney, but I eventually came to understand him. He was way more supportive than I ever expected him to be and thats what finally won me over.

The oppression the women faced had me a little hesistant at first, but after a few chapters I couldnt put it down. I dont enjoy reading about main characters who feel powerless, but thats not what I got. This book focused on all the little ways women fight back and the power they have when they stand together. The need to know if they would put aside their conditionning to work together is what kept me invested. I loved how the not like other girls trope was turned into something empowering. The plot was filled with danger and an intense need to survive not only from the wild and the poachers who want to cut the girls up and sell them, but also from one another. On top of that, theres plenty of questions that need answering to drive the story forward. I was able to predict some of the reveals, but a couple of them completely shocked me. This didnt end at all like I thought it would, but it was a lot more powerful for the real and raw approach it took.

This book seemed to take place in an isolated village set in the past, except for the fact that when the village was created not everyone spoke english. Since the people came from all over speaking a bunch of different languages I also got a post apocalyptic vibe where the survivors came together and created the village. It could have even happened recently similar to how cults isolate themselves to keep their members under their influence. I would have liked a bit more context, but the not knowing definitely kept me on edge since I never knew what was possible and what to expect. Is the magic real or something made up to control them. I liked how the area the girls are taken for the grace year had an eerie and mysterious vibe to it. I also enjoyed how well the writing showed the characters emotions since it made for such a visceral reading experience. I think this is a standalone, but Id love to see a sequel. I would totally recommend this to anyone looking for a moving story about the power of kindness over violence.

You do not talk about the Grace Year. When girls turn 16 they are banished for a year because at this age come into their power and drive men crazy and lure them to your bed. They need to release their wild magic into the woods but not everyone will come back alive. After this year they will be considered purified and be ready to get married. Tierney James is turning 16 and her grace year is here and we will get to see what happens in the woods. You get to view the relationships these young women develop and the complexity of it. Tierney feels things can change and they don't have to remain the way it has been. If woman would unite maybe things could change. A story about survival and inequality and that one person make a difference.

This is not a book for everyone. There is violence and cannibalism so beware. YA dystopian society and I felt the writing was a combination of The Hunger Game and The Handmaid's Tale. Wasn't my favorite but there are many who would like this story. I just felt something was missing and it just didn't make me go Wow. This would not be my top pick to recommend. It is an interesting book to read and discuss among friends to get their viewpoints and fuel an interesting conversation.

I’m giving this 4 Stars because I can tell how much the content means to the author. I enjoyed the dystopian aspect. I liked the quasi-Lord-of-the-Flies-with-girls theme. I liked The mix of personalities amongst the women of the novel. The book well captures the most difficult aspects of female relationships as well as some of the worst aspects of male control over women. I think in order to portray the Feminist message Liggett wanted to, she went a bit heavy-handed. No two girls had healthy relationships Definitely there were no healthy relationships between boys and girls nor men and women. I would love to have seen a novel where more women/girls supported each other. The young adult genre is hit-or-miss for me, but mostly miss. The Grace Year was no different. The romances were all rushed and/or immature., but probably age appropriate.

The author clearly has a heart for girls and a desire for them to be seen as significant and powerful as they can be. Because I appreciate that message, I enjoyed The Grace Year.

I’m a little torn on how to review this one- on one hand, I LOVED the dark, disturbing tone and the feminist theme- in those aspects, it was right up my alley. On the other hand, it all felt so......familiar. This book has been repeatedly compared to/ described as The Handmaid’s Tale + The Hunger Games + Lord of the Flies, all of which I loved, but The Grace Year had so many similarities to these books that it was a distraction for me while I was reading. Had I not already read those I’m positive this would have been 4.5/5 stars for me. I also didn’t love the romance- it felt rushed and out of place with the rest of the story. Still enjoyed this overall, but just a little disappointed that it felt so much like something I had already read. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the free book!

Once I heard that THE GRACE YEAR by Kim Liggett was being compared to THE HANDMAID'S TALE and THE POWER, I knew I had to check out this book. Now that I've read it, I have to agree that it definitely has elements of both, but it also does a great job of setting itself apart from within the emerging feminist dystopia genre.

This story is set in the fictional Garner County, where girls possess magical abilities that are feared and oppressed by the community at large. In their 16th year, the girls are forced to live in the wild and expel their magic before they can reenter society as purified, marriageable women. However, not all the girls make it home alive.

I was pretty much hooked on this story from beginning to end, and I highly recommend it in both print and audiobook (I alternated between both and each format was equally great!). I know not everyone enjoys Young Adult novels, but this is one of those rare books that manages to carefully balance elements of YA and Adult fiction. It's gritty and violent, but also emotional and with a focus on complex female relationships.

Kim Liggett has written one smart, unique, and thrilling dystopian fiction. It’s fierce, it’s gripping, and it’s a little bit bloody and disturbing and brutal. This is a story of survival – both in the patriarchal society of the book and during the girls’ grace year of the title.

It’s been compared to The Handmaid’s Tale meets a feminist version of Lord of the Flies, and I honestly think that nails it perfectly.

I went into this story without knowing anything more than I’ve read in the blurb, and I kind of want readers to as well. The protagonist, Tierney, is strong, independent, and the closest thing to a boy her father had. She doesn’t dream of a marriage like everyone else – she has a different plan for her life. Her best friend is a boy, and she’s managed to escape a lot of the expectations set upon her older sisters – until she approaches the grace year. She’s wary of the grace year, as she’s seen how the women come back changed – guarded, maimed – or maybe don’t come back at all.

The grace year also shares the first rule of Fight Club – you don’t talk about it, to anyone. (So no spoilers from me, either!) I mean, you put any group of girls together and it can be brutal and petty. Tell the mean girls that they have magic powers? Get ready for the ugliness to grow ten-fold.

This is a story about survival. It’s also about the complicated relationships women have with each other – trust and betrayal, envy, pettiness, competitiveness, and how we all too often pit ourselves against each other instead of working together to succeed.