I apologize. I will not be giving a review of this book at this time. I did not read before it was archived. I appreciate the opportunity that was given. I hope this will not dissuade from offering me ARCs in the future.

This book was terrifyingly creepy, and was not at all what I expected. I thought the cover was going to make this book seem slightly light hearted, and instead was the opposite. It was gripping and could not put it down!

Tierney James has never wanted a veil. She doesn't care for marriage, or the traditions and familial customs it holds, so when she receives a veil, it's a shock for the entire town. During their sixteenth year, in what has been dubbed the 'Grace Year', the girls of the town are banished to the wilderness to purge them of their so-called dangerous and seductive magic before they return home as women. Braving the wilderness, Tierney learns the truth about the Grace Year and the magic the girls must rid themselves of - but can she get them to see the truth before it's too late?


The Grace Year is a stunningly mesmerising and impassioned dystopic narrative that draws you in and holds your attention to the haunting end.

This was such a great thriller. I loved the twists and turns of it all as the girls figured everything out and it all fell into place. Definitely recommend!

The premise intrigued me when I first requested this, but I'm no longer interested. I tried to read some of it, but I felt it wasn't what I thought.

This was one crazy ride of a book. I mean fasten your seatbelt and hold on because you have no idea what to expect going in. I could not put this one down either because I had to know what happened. Then, that ending! I mean, seriously!

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. It was a bit out of my wheel house but I stayed with it and I was pulled in by Tierney and her unique perspective of the Grace Year and why the people of her home had such beliefs and rules.
I applaud the author for the time it takes to create a culture and the consequences it inflicted.

This. Give me feminist dystopians. Give me young women challenging the systemic patriarchy that attempts to subdue them. THE GRACE YEAR is a combination of the dark and gritty truth of reality mixed with moments of love, friendship, and justice waiting to be served.

I’m not super keen on thriller-esque books (and I think this book would appeal to readers who are fans of those), but I devoured this from start to finish. THE GRACE YEAR is quick and sharp, presenting characters born of this harsh world full of inequality. The nightmare of this world just… *shudders* it keeps you reading as terrifying as it is. The fact that I could see this in our world in a similar fashion, that twinge of reality made it all the more engaging. This book isn’t an easy read and yet it felt important. The breakdown of characters both excellent character development as well as pointing to a greater unspoken truth and perception.

Honestly my only complaint was the romance. I love romance in books but it just felt out of place here, too soft where everything pushed to be sharp. Otherwise I’d absolutely recommend THE GRACE YEAR and all the truths it has to offer beneath the veil of fiction.

Somewhat bizarre dystopian fiction where girls are sent away from the village to fend for themselves. When they return, if they do, they re deemed ready for marriage or whatever the men in the village choose.

While the premise is interesting, I was expecting something different.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I DNF after 40%. I listened to the audiobook, but the bullying among the girls and the depictions of misgoyny or sexual harrassment was a lot for me at the time of reading it. I did like Tierney and her care for others, despite her hard edges. I also liked the developing romance. This is kind of dystopian, but in a cult-like community. If blood is a trigger, note it is prevelant in the parts I read. I might finish it at another time.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-galley.
My reviews and ratings are my own.

This dystopian novel had me riveted from the beginning simply because it reminded me so much of the Handmaid's Tale and I've always been afraid of society reverting to such a degree that women are once again stripped of their freedoms. In addition, it has the perfect mix of horror, mystery, and romance. If there's no follow up to this story, it will be a travesty

This YA dystopian book kept me engaged right from the beginning. It was like a mash up of Mean Girls, The Hunger Games, and The Handmaid’s Tale. I looked forward to reading it every day and couldn’t wait to find out how it ended.

Whatever critic first said the The Grace Year is like Hunger Games meets Handsmaid's Tale hit the nail on the head 100%. And dare I say, I liked this one more than it's comparisions. It has a very unique distopian twist, and still very scarily plausable. So much courage and resiliance shown in a creative and empowing novel.

Wow this story really had me turning the pages fast… I loved the concept. It was definitely interesting and the ending was so good. Recommend for sure!

This was unfortunately a two star read for me. I’m a huge fan of dystopian and feminist reads but this was just a let down. The premise immediately sucks you in but at the halfway mark I just lost interest.

I found The Grace Year to be a good book and would definitely recommend to dystopian fans. It's not my favorite of the genre but the beginning held my attention.

This book is definitely a captivating, gritty read. It has so much going for it as a feminist powerhouse novel. There is elements of horror and dystopian and really keeps you on the edge of your seat. You become very invested in the world and care about the outcome.

Not as I'd expected. This premise sounded perfect, but instead... it went to camp? I didn't get what I'd hoped for, at all. It is like it jumped chains or genres, or something. What it did was lose me. I wasn't happy about that. I was so interested till the time jumps lines. The plot skipped months and hunks. The outcome of their lives after the year of "grace" is awful! It's like they went from captive, to free, to what I just can't explain. I can't find the heroine being a hero of any sort. It was tragic. Maybe it was meant to be tragic, but at the end of the book I was really let down.

This is my honest review, and thank you to Net Galley for letting me see what I thought about this book.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. It was so different than anything I had expected. This book is pitched As Handmaids Tale meets Hunger Games and that description couldn’t be more perfect.

Go into this book with those two concepts in mind and you will be thrilled!