Haunting. The perfect October read to get you in that spooky mood. This is one of those books that sinks into you and keeps you stuck for hours, until you've come out the other side. It is a great read for the current political climate and will certainly set your mind spinning. You won't be able to escape.

The Grace Year is described as a female Lord of the Flies by the author and it's dark and disturbing from the very beginning.

Even though this book has a lot of hype, I did find that I enjoyed it, but I didn't quite love it. The plot is interesting and kept me turning the pages because I wanted to find out what happened to Tierney, but the pacing of the book was uneven with some events being drawn out while other times months passed in the blink of an eye. I personally wasn't a fan of how purposely vague this novel was about some things, but can understand why that works for others. I would've liked more background on Garner County and how their traditions came to be. I also felt that some of Tierney's actions were inconsistent with her character. This isn't my usual genre, but if you enjoy YA/dystopian novels with rebellious female leads I think you'll enjoy this one.

Thanks to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Netgalley, Macmillan Audio,and Libro.FM for my ARC and ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Audio: Liked the narrator. Includes an interview with the author.

I'm feeling a little mixed about The Grace Year. I absolutely loved the idea of a feminist Hunger Games with relevant metaphor and societal commentary at play but do think it could be executed a bit more compellingly. I did quite appreciate that the author really wasn't afraid to lean into the darkness of her premise and I think that the demo audience (teen girls) could really go for the grittiness of the storytelling and interesting world-building. And for once, I do think that a movie or TV version could be better than the book as it felt quite cinematic at points and I could see it translating well on screen and draw in an even larger audience.

Wow. I loved this one. It's been a while since a book gripped me this intensely. I could not put it down. The Grace Year packed quite a punch, my feelings were put through the ringer. I felt anger, frustration, anxiety, horror, happiness, sadness and everything in between. Throughout the story I often found myself thinking it felt like such a great mixture of The Handmaids Tale and The Hunger Games with a dash of Lord of the Flies and I loved every second of it. It's such an interesting look into the relationships and competition of women pitted against each other by men. What women will do to survive, for their families, for loved ones, for strangers and usually, not for themselves. The main character, Tierney is defiant and stubborn in the best, bad-ass kind of way. With a number of strategically placed plot twists and turns you will not be able to get your mind off this! If this isn't on your to-read list, what the heck are you waiting for? Highly recommend.

The best way to describe this book is that it’s a mix of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Lord of the Flies”. At first, I thought it was a bit like The Hunger Games…but then I suppose books in this genre will always be compared to that one. Now, this book doesn’t quite match up to the glory of the first two titles…but that’s a stretch for any book. It’s definitely a solid YA/NA read that I would recommend to anyone interested in the genre.

This is a new take on a world in which women have little or no power. It’s believed that when they turn sixteen, they become magical creatures with powers that can cause havoc in the community. They are banished to live in the woods for a year. The wood is dangerous… and not all of them come back alive. Naturally, no one speaks of “the grace year” so none of the girls have any idea what happens when they leave the community.

Tierney James isn’t like the other girls she knows. Growing up she spent most of her time with her father, learning valuable survival skills. Most of the women in the community frown upon her choices…but everyone knows that once her grace year is upon her she’ll have no choice to accept the man who chooses her as a bride and then attempt to survive her year living wild like all other women.

Tierney’s friend Michael seems different. They have been friends since they were children and she feels as though he accepts her. But even Michael will take part in the “veiling” and will choose himself a girl to marry. The entire system leaves Tierney feeling sick and demoralized.

When Michael chooses Tierney as his intended…she has only moments to begin to process it before she begins her journey to her year-long banishment.

The intrigue develops quickly as the young women are force-marched into the woods. The assassins that are said to linger outside the safety of the community are there… Tierney catches glimpses of them and they lose one of their group when she strays too far. But a brief encounter with an “assassin” sows the seeds of doubt in Tierney’s mind.

When thrown together, the young women’s issues with one another intensify. There are the typical girls: the bully, the leader, the resourceful, the followers. And the breakdown of each other begins quickly. Perhaps, this book is more about the way that misogyny can come from within women. I’ve often thought that we can be our own worst enemies and the characters in this book are no exception.

There is a romance in the novel, but it’s not fully fleshed out, nor do I think it’s really necessary. I find that most YA books have a romantic aspect to them and I’m not sure it’s always helpful to the plot. I thought that Tierney was interesting enough on her own!

3 stars from me.

This book was such a mix of genres, all of which I like, so I was pleasantly surprised. The strong themes of feminism within the book resonated with me deeply. While the world building was vague I believe it complimented the story fully.

Girls are sent to the wilds during their sixteenth year of life which is their Grace year. They are told they do this so they can rid themselves of magic within them and then come back and live a proper life. This book follows them in their Grace year and all the crazy and scary things that happen. The ties between the girls/women is strong and the ending of this book really got me. If you like a darker style hunger games with focus on feminism this is the book for you.

The Grace Year is a Young Adult dystopian book. The narrator is 16 year old Tierney (female).

In this world girls are sent away for their sixteenth year. Nobody will say what happens during that year. But basically these girls are thought to possess magic. They are sent into the wild for an entire year to get rid of their magic. So that they can come home to get married.

The book is divided into sections: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. I do like that the book was divided this way. But I didn't really like that there were no actual chapters (just a huge number of pages for each season).

The book is told from the 1st person POV of Tierney, a girl who is 16 and who is being sent away for her Grace Year.

The premise of this book was very interesting. Girls may or may not receive veils prior to their Grace Year. If they do then if they return alive they must marry the boy who gave them their veil.

I thought that Tierney was a strong girl. And I was interested to see what would transpire during her year away.

There were some good characters in this book. Michael - Tierney's best friend. Kiersten - a girl in the same Grace Year as Tierney. Ryker -a guy out in the wild.

There were quite a few things that I liked about this book. I was fascinated by the poachers out in the wild. I was shocked at the mean-girls vibe of so many of the 16 year old girls. I loved that flowers were such an important part of the story and liked the meaning of the different flowers. I was invested in the veil ceremony. And I was surprised and dismayed by the women's roles in this society.

The year was intriguing and a lot happened. But I'm not sure that I really felt satisfied by the ending. But overall it was a unique story. It was an enjoyable read!

I absolutely loved The Grace Year by Kim Liggett, another 5 star book for 2019! I’ve been seeing this one around bookstagram and was completely sold on the gorgeous cover and interesting premise. This book is horrifying, dark, and beautiful all at once, showcasing violence and hope at the same time. I loved every character and was captivated by the plot throughout the novel. I would say The Grace Year is most similar to Wilder Girls, The Handmaid's Tale, and Lord of the Flies but all combined into one amazing novel. This book is considered to be a YA dystopian but I think everyone will enjoy this one! Thank you to Wednesday Books / St Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

A little bit of Hunger Games meets Handmaids Tale or Vox. It took me a little bit to get into this story, I wanted a bit more background on how the world became the way it was. Ultimately I did end up getting swept up into Tierney's world.

There is quite a bit of violence throughout the book but the girls do find a way to redeem themselves. The language is descriptive and captivating. While it wasn't the ending I was rooting for it was a very good read and I could see it becoming a strong movie adaptation in the future

TWs for frequent mention of coercion, sexual assault, slavery, etc. Also TWs for violent attacks and dismemberment––and the targeted public shaming of an LGBTQIA+ community member.

This book is a solid recommendation for anyone who wants a mashup of "The Hunger Games" and "The Handmaid's Tale" along with a good dollop of "The Forest of Hands and Teeth," and who isn't brought up short by constant girl-on-girl competition. The book is atmospheric, intense, and moves along at a good clip. I'm not sure I'm sold on the messaging of the ending (no spoilers), but I can see how a film or serial adaptation of this book would make for compelling material. The ultimate message is one of "girls need to unite to change our broken society from the inside, not engage in *literally toxic* behavior and competition"––which I'm 1000% behind––but on the way to this message we see nothing BUT girls engaging in toxic behavior and competition. The violence is brutal and visceral. An LGBTQIA+ character is brutally attacked, physically and emotionally. And like many dystopic feminist works for young adults and adults, the representation usually ends with the first two letters of the queer alphabet. (The TQIA+ among us will still have to wait for our dystopic film score.) The overall treatment of queer characters here is as objects of violence, not as characters who gain agency or whose presence actually "queers" the text. The book centers on bodies that fit the traditional gender binary, and the concerns of a society that is wedded to that binary. I did not feel seen or welcome in this book.

I respect Liggett's commentary on the literal commodification of women's bodies, on the vulnerability of women socialized within a toxic patriarchy, and the intersection of women's bodies, disability, and race. (There are some interesting hints at further complexity here.) I would certainly read further works by Liggett in the future, but this one was ... not the right fit for me.

This was a 4.5 for me and really just because it's my personal review. I don't take pleasure in reading pages of someone in her head trying to survive. It was like the Hunger Games at that point and I skimmed that one too. But it was only around the 46% mark and it eventually ended and got grippingly good again.

Liggett's a good writer. I loved her POV of Tierney, loved the way the character was real. I liked the girl that bullies Tierney because of how confident in herself she was. She was aggressive and didn't let anyone step on her. I always have a hard time watching girls just take abuse, it drives me crazy, but I'm glad I read this all the way through because Tierney ends this book as a person who didn't turn hard or do things to stain herself, but rather grew an invisible muscle that showed when flexed. She ended up with her own sort of strength.

I'm always iffy with books where men are basically pigs, and I would have liked to see all the amazing stuff expanded to the males, but I get that they weren't involved because it's not about them: this book is about the suppressed mothers and daughters. So in that aspect, it's cool. In the aspect of trying to uplift those who HAVE suffered, it's cool. And I like that it wasn't just an advocate for women but also Tierney's special story. Thankfully, she didn't vanish under her author's message like some characters I've witnessed.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett is one of the most impressive upper YA dystopian novels I've had the opportunity to read in quite some time. Plus, it's easily one of the best 2019 releases I've had the opportunity to read this year. I'm so excited that I had the opportunity to give try this new novel. Kim Liggett is incredibly talented and I will certainly need to read more of her work in the future. It's a powerful combination of The Handmaid's Tale, The Hunger Games, and The Lord of the Flies that comes highly recommended from me. If you're interested in horrifically timely and smart dystopian novels, atmospheric settings, survivalist details, and a memorable cast, then The Grace Year might just be exactly what you're looking for.

This was definitely something that I normally don't read and I'm happy that I decided to pick this one up!!

I really loved the themes of feminism and women empowerment!! I enjoyed the humanity and survival aspect to this unique read.

I'm not too big on dsytopian novels but this definitely kept you on the edge of your seat! I think that many will find this book a page turner and grabbing for those pages!

I felt it was a tad slow moving in some places and was a tad bit over the top for my taste. But, the uniqueness of the novel I loved!!

Overall, a pretty entertaining read.

3.5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 10/8/19
Published to GR: 10/7/19

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kim Liggett for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of The Grace Year. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

The Grace Year is set in a dystopian world where women have no rights. There are serious punishments for women who don’t comply, including hanging from the gallows. You grow up in an almost puritanical society where women are to believed to have special magical powers. Soon after you bleed, you are either chosen by the eligible men to be married or you are sent to in service working in the fields, the dairy or as a servant to other married women. It is a hierarchical society with prominent families faring better than others. The men can be any age, of course. Then all the girls are sent away to live one year far away in order for their magic to be drained. Only then will they be welcome back into society. Not all girls make it back alive. No one ever talks about what happens in the year away. The girls return looking dirty, dazed, disheveled, bloody, maimed and nearly starved to death.

It is Tierney’s time to serve her grace year. She is strong-willed and outspoken so it is unlikely that anyone will choose her to marry. That is fine with her. She is hoping to work in the fields, even though it is considered the worst fate. She wanted to be able to look at the sky and be in control of her own body. She sees what happens when a wife doesn’t behave. Or can’t bear children. They get accused of something and then they are punished, or worse. As the girls gather to go away for their year, most are scared. Not only don’t they know what to expect, but they have never been on their own or made any decisions for themselves. Tierney knows that no matter what she must return. The fate of her sisters depends on it. She must make it home alive.

This was okay for me. I liked the premise and thought the world that she built very real and scary. It has strong overtones to “The Handmaid’s Tale” in regards to women’s rights, control over their body, and other issues. I agree with the idea that girls who don’t have an outlet for their emotions, including rage, can have serious ramifications. Trying to fit into the box that is what a woman should be is stifling and unrealistic. No woman fits into it naturally. Trying to control women’s reproductive rights is a very hot topic especially in today’s climate. My only issue is that I felt, especially in the early part of the book, that the issues were being shouted at to me. “Look, isn’t this awful, look at the horrible way this society is”. I wasn’t allowed to form my own thoughts based on the events in the story. I don’t like being dictated to, being manipulated to feel a certain one thing, even if I agree with it. I like having agency when I read a story. It felt preachy to me.

I enjoyed the story and how it developed. I did question the actions of some of the characters towards to end. Mean girls are mean. They usually grow up into mean, petty adults. I wasn’t so convinced of some of the characters’ transformations. I was caught up in the story and was eager to get to the end. However, I was taken out of the story when I felt preached to.

Pitching The Grace Year as Handmaid's Tale meets Lord of the Flies is certainly fitting, but I ultimately found the latter comparison more compelling. The opening section, featuring a secluded society that believes women should be seen, not heard, complete with arranged marriages between boys of their age group, didn't bring anything new to the table, in my opinion. It's a setup fans of the genre will have seen before in various iterations. However, once the titular Grace Year actually begins, I was enthralled, and fortunately it doesn't take long for the book to arrive at this point. The questions it poses about responsibility, culpability, and how those can shift when extenuating circumstances arise are haunting and extremely thought provoking. Are your choices your own when they're a product of your upbringing? At what point does personal responsibility come in? In addition to a compelling, chilling narrative, the subtle ending was perfectly brilliant - it might not be what you expect, but it's what the story demands.

Wow. This one was a surprise and a joy. I enjoyed reading this so much - it was twisty and scary. The worldbuilding was vague enough to be slightly menacing at first, but grew darker and darker. The romance was good - but I do wish that there was more of it. It felt like it could have been developed a bit more. While the ending was good and satisfying - I still felt like it was a bit rushed compared to the slow burn of the rest of the story.

This book lived up to all the hype! It's different from anything I've read recently - feminist, engaging, speculative in a still-approachable way. The prose was exceptional and the story complex. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel and I look forward to more from Liggett in the future. Thanks to the publisher for granting this wish!

Thank you to the author and publishers for the ARC of The Grace Year.
This is undoubtedly the best book I have read this year!
I did not want this book to end, I eeked every page out,wanting to find out what would happen to the grace year girls but at the same time not wanting the book to end as I was so caught up in the characters lives.
It is a slightly dystopian type of book which explores the difference of how men and woman can be treated. The grace woman are thought to have magic that can send a man wild, well we all know woman can do this without magic!
The strength that the woman show and the growing camaraderie in contrast to their awful treatment of each other at the beginning is heart warming.
I have been left wanting more, lots of questions like answering, I need to know how the future turns out. Please write a sequel and soon!

Don’t let the pink cover fool you. The Grace Year is brutal. This book broke my heart, had me on the verge of tears, and made me want to scream. And I loved it. It had a bit of a slow start, but I think that was necessary to immerse you in the world this story takes place in. But once the story picks up, it is impossible to put this book down (except towards the end when I knew it was going to hurt me, and I had to take a brief break).

This is not an easy book to read, there is a lot of abuse (trigger warning for sexual, physical, and emotional abuse) and violence. I definitely made me uncomfortable at times, but I think that’s kind of the point. Like The Handmaid’s Tale, this shines a light on how women are mistreated. I would definitely call it feminist fiction, and I think it did a great job of pointing out issues with how women are viewed.

The writing in this novel was excellent. I’m honestly pretty skeptical about writing in young adult books (it’s just not something I enjoy all that much), but this book did not feel like YA. It felt more mature, which is appropriate given the subject matter. It also helped me fly through this book in a day, because I could NOT go to sleep not knowing how it ended.

I’m hesitant to say anything else because I really think this book needs to just stand on it’s own. Don’t go into it with too many expectations. Just read it. Trust me. It’s one of the best young adult books I’ve read in a long time, and probably one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year (and I’ve read a lot of books this year).

What a great balance between the unbelievable and the believable! As the author laid out a society that thought 16 year old women came into mysterious magic, and therefore needed to be exiled for a year, I harkened back to the days of the Salem Witch trials. As the young women tried to survive on their own, hints of Lord of the Flies began to appear. And even away from the exiled girls and their year, the ripple effect of this concept permeated the entire culture and how its members interacted their entire lives. It is unfathomable that a culture would think and behave that way. Yet, at the same time, Ms. Liggett makes the horrible situation seem totally believable.