The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

FEATURING⇢

Dystopian Setting/Alternate World
Society Where Men Have the Power
Oppression Of Women
Horror-if-ic
Death, Lies, & Betrayals
Splash of Romance
Women Supporting Women
Stand-Alone


LINK TO SYNOPSIS (AUTHOR'S WEBSITE)


MY RATING⇢ 5+ STARS | GRADE A++




MY THOUGHTS⇢

Wow! This book...

This book is a lot of things...dubious, challenging, frustrating, darkly horrifying, curing, wonderful, loving, saddening, hopeful & most of all empowering.

I first started reading this about two months ago and had to stop because I just wasn't feeling it...I thought this is a premise that would never come to pass...or so help us all. I couldn't wrap my head around this society where women not only outnumber men, but their rights are so marginalized by these men, it's unthinkable, unbelievable. They are treated as property and made to go through a year away from everything they know to expel their magic. When they come back from this supposed magic-letting they are forced to marry the guy that chose them...and if no one chooses them (because women outnumber the men)...they have to work for the good of the community. This book will push your buttons...for sure.

The second time I started it, I found this enthralling...I devoured it in very little time. The Grace Year has earned a spot as one of my favorites of all time and I don't think I will ever forget it. I especially won't forget how it made me feel by the time I finished it. I was stunned, with everything that happens, and...So. Much. Happens. This one has all the feels, from the good to the bad, and everything in between.



THE BREAKDOWN⇢

Plot⇢ 5/5
Characters⇢ 5/5
The Feels⇢ 5+/5
Pacing⇢ 4.8/5
Addictiveness⇢ 5/5
Theme or Tone⇢ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)⇢ 4.5/5
Originality⇢ 5+/5
Ending⇢ 5/5 Cliffhanger⇢ Not really...
_____

Book Cover⇢ Love it. It's absolutely perfect.
Setting⇢ Garner County & a remote island within a great lake.
Source⇢ I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
eBook Length⇢ 416 pages

No one speaks of the Grace Year, to do so is forbidden. Once the young women receive veils from their intended spouses, all of the sixteen year old girls are sent outside of the community to burn through their dangerous magic so they may return the following year to be good wives, mothers, workers. Tierney James is sixteen and will be a grace year girl this year, but she dreams of being free, of not having to be a wife and mother, of not being trapped by rituals, traditions, and punishments.

I found The Grace Year to be a fascinating speculative dystopian novel that was dark and horrifying in all of the right ways. The plot is excellent and I found myself staying up late and getting up early to burn through this page turner of a book to find out what ultimately happens to Tierney and her fellow grace year girls. The dark, multi-layered threat of poachers who hunt the girls, a society that treats women as property, and the horrors that young women inflict upon one another ratcheted up the tension over and over. The world-building was excellent and I found I wanted much more of it. I would eagerly read an entire additional novel with the same setting as I found myself wishing for more stories of what was happening with the poachers, the women in the county, and women on the outskirts.

Fans of dystopian fiction like the Handmaid's Tale, Lord of the Flies, and the Hunger Games will fly through The Grace Year and be left wanting more.

The downside to early review copies is I want everyone I know to be reading this right now so we can talk about it. I've convinced my closest friends to get their copies but we have to wait until October. Meanwhile I have to contain myself so I don't spoil anything :)

I knew as soon as I started I was going to love this book, I didn't want to put it down but I wanted it not to end. I think everything was beautifully written and paced, I felt like I was part of the story and could picture it all perfectly. And there were subtle parts that just hit the right emotion so well.

On an aside I will be recommending this to my library. This would make an awesome book club pick, not just because it's good but because it has so much to discuss.

This book had it all in terms of themes covered. There was a great sense of survival and adventure, romance, it had the feel of a dystopian novel and yet written with the feel of the something in the past.

This book was intense. If time allowed - I would've consumed it in one sitting.

It was dark, descriptive, gruesome at times, but also beautiful with rays of hope throughout it all.

The writing is breathtakingly beautiful, it is fast paced and gripping and will literally make you never want to put this book down, even when real-life is calling your name and your responsibilities are shouting at you from afar.

If you're up for a gripping tale, one that speaks of hope, friendship and believing in the beauty of the future, that doesn't shy away from gore and doesn't ignore the ugly bits, then this book is 100% for you. If you enjoyed the Hunger Games, you will be sure to enjoy this novel that has a very dystopian feel.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading this book review.

I received a free e-copy of The Grace Year by Kim Liggett from NetGalley for my honest review.

I don't normally read YA books, and I didn't realize that was what this book was until after I was asked to read and review it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it.

This book is a very intense and very raw book that is full of violence. At the same time that it is violent and disturbing it is written so beautifully.

This book is about Tierney and her Grace Year. A Grace Year is an annual ceremony that all sixteen year-old girls go through in order to cleanse themselves of their magic. Magic that affects men and makes them fall in love with them. After a year they come back purified and ready to wed. During this year the are sent off to a campground, where they are forced to live under horrible conditions and have very few resources. They are also told that if they try to leave that poachers will get them, kill them, skin them alive and sell their parts. These girls start out strong and confident but come back broken and ashamed.

This is a very rough read but the writing is a work of art and the symbolism involved is absolutely amazing. You will feel the pain, hurt, anger and disgust in each written word.

Tierney James is dreading her grace year. Being one of the few girls to receive a veil, signifying she had been chosen to be married when – or if – she returned home after they were all purged of their magic, she tried to organize the girls into making the best of their forced isolation by improving the conditions of the distant camp. The other sixteen-year-old girls were enthralled by Kiersten, who managed to convince the girls that her magic was strong, pitting them against Tierney and her efforts. After several horrendous events, Tierney flees the enclosure, managing to survive with the skills taught to her by her father. As the year rolls on, Tierney is changed in ways she had never imagined, though her return to camp is less than triumphant, with death and heartache weighing heavily on her conscience.

The book is broken up by season, as opposed to chapters, and it was a bit of a slog getting through autumn. I appreciate that the scene needed to be set, but I almost abandoned the book part-way through. I’m glad I didn’t, because the other three seasons move quickly and are an enjoyable read. I loved Tierney’s strength and her attempts to improve the situation for all the girls, even though she wasn’t in their inner circle. I found this to be an interesting story with parallels in our world that were difficult for me to overlook.

Man, I don't even know where to start with this magnificent book. The writing is absolutely beautiful, I couldn't stop reading it but I really didn't want it to end. Liggett managed to keep my attention throughout her whole book. Her writting is hauntingly beautiful yet captivating and disturbing. I couldn't imagine living in a world that these woman are forced to live in. Tierney's character was written perfectly, she was fierce as hell, yet witty when needed. If you're a fan of The Handmaid's tale and Lord of the flies then this is the perfect read for you. It reminded me of the Handmaids tale because of the way the women are forced to live and how the men are superior to them. Lord of the flies is simple, everything that happens in their Grace year is very Lord of the flies to me. Put those two things together and you get one hell of a book. Also, the ending was nothing short of spectacular, it was beautiful, tear-worthy even. I don't usually reread books but for this one, I'll be damn sure to make an exception. This is a must read and I do highly recommend it to everyone

Wow. Thats all i can say about this one. I dont want to go into many details because it would be so east to spoil the story. I can say, this is one of those stories that makes you stay up way to late reading without ever even realizing it. Then when you finally put the book down and crawl into bed, your brain wont shut off because its replaying the story over and over. I loved the characters. There was a few "big reveals" that were obvious before hand, but they fit seamlessly into the story. Other times, I had no idea what would happen next.

“But who’s going to do the punishing?” Hannah asks. “At home, the punishers are men, chosen by God.”
“Look around,” Kiersten says as she stares me dead in the eyes. “We are the only Gods here.”
* * *
“We all die, Tierney.” The corner of her mouth twists up. “In the county, everything they take away from us is a tiny death. But not here . . .” She spreads her arms out, taking in a deep breath. “The grace year is ours. This is the one place we can be free. There’s no more tempering our feelings, no more swallowing our pride. Here we can be whatever we want. And if we let it all out,” she says, her eyes welling up, her features softening, “we won’t have to feel those things anymore. We won’t have to feel at all.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press) for sending me an ARC of The Grace Year in exchange for an honest review.

The Grace Year feels like two different books. The first 40% and last 10% largely take place in Garner County, an alternate history version of someplace in either America or Western Europe, with smallpox and Christianity and a real Hunger Games vibe. In the year of their 16th birthday, the girls in the village are selected as future brides (or else, future workers) the night before they are all sent away for a year to burn off their ‘magic.’ This portion of the story immediately calls to mind the world-building, themes, and symbolism of The Handmaid’s Tale, though the rules of this rather bizarre patriarchy get a bit muddled the deeper you get into the book. Still, this half of the book is really good, with lots to say: “The things we do to girls. Whether we put them on pedestals only to tear them down, or use them for parts and holes, we’re all complicit in this.”

The lead character, Tierney James, bears many similarities to Katniss Everdeen: solitary, strong, loyal to family, and clueless about the men who are interested in her. She’d rather work and be free than be in the “padded shackles” of marriage. So of course she’s selected for marriage, which puts a target on her back for the middle 50% of the book when the girls are away. For a short time, this section feels like Lord of the Flies. Girls vie for leadership, choose sides, and lives are quickly in danger. However, Tierney is soon separated from the rest of the group, and when that happens, the plot slows dramatically. This middle 50% of the book is unfortunately dominated by a romantic plot that did not work for me at all and felt completely out of place in this story. The best thing I can say about it is that it added parts to the world-building that I found forced and unnecessary.

There were parts of this book that I really liked. The writing flows, almost stream of consciousness at times. The book is divided into few broad sections, but there are no chapter breaks to let you catch your breath. And the better half of the book grapples with the fact that no matter how brutal the patriarchy, the greatest threat to women is often ... other women. But the other half of the novel, about the “boy in a treehouse with cold hands and a warm heart”? Hopefully you’ll like that part more than I did.

WOW. This book had me turning the pages non stop until the very end. I was so deep into this book, nothing got done around here until I finished.

Stop. Seriously. You want to read this book. It will leave you thinking for days and hit you to your core. Liggett has created something special here and I can't wait to read this again.

"The Grace Year" by Kim Liggett is the story of Tierney, a 16 year old girl living in a dystopian community. In their county at the age of 16 the girls are sent away to have their "grace year." Tierney has had more freedom than the average girl and how she copes with the grace year influences all the girls. I really enjoyed this book, and I think there is definitely the possibility for more books! I would love to have a book that explains how this community came to be, and if there are other communities that are different. And what happens after this book ends?

Thanks so much to Netgalley for giving me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Your eyes are wide open, but you see nothing." 4.5 stars!

This was sooooo good! I couldn't put it down. Garner County is very reminiscent of Salem or some other sort of Puritan village. Women have no rights and are at the mercy of the men in the village except during the Grace Year.

The ending was tied up a little too neatly but I would love to have a sequel/companion book.

I ended up loving this look, but it took me a LONG time to settle in. There's little to no background on why things are the way they are in this world and whether or not it's a byproduct of our current world or some other dimension entirely, not to mention we don't know anything about the world outside of Garner County. Maybe that's not totally necessary for every reader, but I appreciate having more context than we were given here. As a result, I spent the first quarter of the book simply trying to orient myself and trying to figure out what was happening and WHY.

But once I felt like I had my feet underneath me, I got drawn in and couldn't stop reading. Readers aren't going to like these characters - they're super flawed and I felt myself thinking 'OH COME ON DON'T BE DUMB' a lot. But the plotting and the story here is superb. I hope we get more of this story in a series, because I'd definitely like to know what happens in Garner County after the events in THE GRACE YEAR.

Book Description
Survive the year.

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

My Thoughts
Depending on where you are in the world, your sixteenth year might be just another birthday or a time of great celebration( Sweet Sixteen). But for Tierney( the main character)and all the other girls from Garner County, this will be no presents, parties, and celebration type year. The men who control and own the women in this society believe that the girls contain magic, which will disappear during their Grace Year when they can then return home to take up their assigned roles as wives, workers, or prostitutes. Do the girls know what this entails? Not really, since no one is allowed to talk about the year of their banishment, but they do know that not all the past girls who left return, and poachers who will kill a girl for her magic essence are a very real threat.
Tierney's greatest fear thus far has been keeping the contempt she feels for the rules off her face and out of her eyes. She knows that she may not make it back, but doesn't realize that the elements, the meager supplies, and the poachers may not be the biggest threat, it might be each other. The girls are unprepared for the harshness of their surroundings and yet it is the jealousy and straight-out meanness towards each other that might ultimately get Tierney killed. The year is brutal and while Tierney does her best to use the skills her father has taught her, her efforts may not be enough to make the Grace Year girls allies.
Without venturing into spoiler territory, I will say that there is quite a bit of suspense and I was quickly flipping pages to find out how The Grace Year would end. The chapters are rather long, divided by seasons and their return home. For the most part, I thought Tierney made good, sound decisions, but the story does veer off course(to me) with the introduction of a love interest. Very little is revealed about how this patriarchal society came to be and whether or not the whole world is run the same or just this one small part. As for the ending, while things on the surface remain the same, there was hope for the future.
I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

This is more than just a dystopian novel. Some have called this the book of the year, with its emphasis on female relationships.

This fell a little flat for me as my hopes were high with the comparison to others books. Good story but just not what I was expecting it to be.

The Grace Year reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale combined with the Hunger Games. The first 3/4 of the book really worked for me and I was invested in Tierney's journey and her relationship with the other "grace year" girls. Unfortunately the love story just did not do it for me. It took away from the female empowerment the beginning of the novel created and fell flat to me. I understand that it was dangerous and rebellious for Tierney to fall in love and choose her own partner, but it did not fit in the rest of the story for me.I would have loved to explore more of the history of the society and continue to focus on the relationships between Kiersten, Tierney and especially Tierney's mom with that final reveal!

3.5 rounded up to 4 here.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review,

I think that the first thing I have to say is that I read this book in a span of 24 hours. One, I simply couldn’t put it down, and two because of the way this book is written, it really feels like it should be a binge read.

Going into this book, I knew it was going to make me mad. It takes place in a world where women are completely controlled by the men in their lives and apparently when they reach their 16th year, they are forced out into the wilderness so they can be cured of a magic that they have. Apparently their magic lures men away from their wives and family and honestly just reading that made me so mad. Within the first chapter I was hoping our main character would come into her magic and burn everything to the ground.

This book did not go in the way that I thought it would. It actually took me completely by surprise. We follow the story through Tierneys eyes and I really loved her. She was so rebellious and wanted so much to help the other girls survive. One thing was that everything happened so quickly. This story takes place over the span of a year, but honestly it doesn’t feel like that. I honestly really joined this book and the characters. I just wish there was more. I was left with so many questions about the world and the hows and whys.

A mash up of Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies and Handmaid's Tale. In this case it works. Tierney is getting ready to go on her Grace year in which all sixteen year old girls must do following a veil ceremony. What happens is a dangerous journey and year long stay at a compund where young women will turn against one another or unite. There are poachers outside of the compound and as well as turmoil wthin. A love story and an adventure story with some weighty looks at the female role in society.