The Grace Year is a title that I have been impatiently waiting to get my hands on. From the syopsis alone, I just knew this book was going to be special and that it would be thrilling. I mean, it sounded like all of my favoirte dystoptian novels were wrapped into one. So, if you're a fan of The Hunger Games, The Handmaid's Tale or even Lord of the Flies, you are in for a real treat with The Grace Year.

The Grace Year follows the story of Tierney James. Tierney has always dreamed for a better life than the one she knows. She lives in a society where dreams are forbidden and where women are seen as the weaker sex. When a girl reaches her sixteenth birthday, she enters what is called her grace year, a time that no one dares to talk about. Rumor has it that women are filled with magical power that they must accept and erradicate in order to return home pure and ready for their husbands. But, what they don't tell you is that you will be pitted against one another, that your friends are not who you thought they were, and that there is more to fear than just poachers in the woods....

As a huge fan of YA Dystopian novels, I couldn't wait to see what The Grace Year would bring to the table. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint. This story is filled with mystery and intriuge. The plot is totally unique, yet has similar elements to some beloved dystopian novels. This story is gritty and intense at times and it will certainly keep you on your toes. This is a story of survival in the worst of cirumstances, yet there is also hope for a better life and future. The Grace Year does have some romantic tones, but the romance does not drive the book, the plot does. The Grace Year is filled with lots of fantastic twists and turns and at times will have you questioning what you have gotten yourself into.

Overall, I found The Grace Year to be a very enjoyable read. I thought it was very unique and writtten well. I found myself glued to the pages and unable to put this book down. I know this is a YA book, but do not let that fool you. This book packs a punch and keeps you guessing the entire time.  If you're a fan of dystopian novels, I definitley would recommend giving The Grace Year a try.

Not a fan of this one. The premise has promise. But the characters are flat and the explanations of things just aren’t there. I wanted to know how it ended so I kept going. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All the sixteen-year-old females from Tierney’s village are sent away for a year to release their wicked, womanly magic into the wild. When the few who survive return, they’re different—scarred, haunted, broken, and missing body parts. Speaking of the Grace Year is forbidden, and what happens to the temporary banished girls is unspeakable.

Now it’s Tierney’s turn to go. Unlike the other girls, she doesn’t want to be claimed as a wife, rather she embraces her individuality and what passes for freedom. Not playing along with the village rules could doom her younger sisters to exile or death and her drive for survival threatens the self-imposed leader of her group. Each day that passes presents a new challenge and more danger.

The epigraph aptly contains quotes from Atwood’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE and Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES, both of which speak to themes of THE GRACE YEAR. The novel also invokes the horrors of the Salem Witch Trials.

Tierney is a great character. She has her flaws, but she genuinely wants all her Grace Year comrades to survive, even when they treat her poorly. In this world, women are both desired and feared. While the men have all the power, women are in surplus, and those who aren’t pretty, little meek sheep and able to bear sons, are considered disposable.

I was drawn into Tierney’s tragic world. Her courage and perseverance were admirable. It takes courage to embrace one’s uniqueness when being different could be deadly, and where women are objectified and vilified.

THE GRACE YEAR is a well written dystopian tale with a fierce female protagonist.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing, for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

Oooh I can always depend on Wednesday Books to release heart-pounding mature YA thrillers tackling intense subjects!

The Grace Year can easily be compared to The Handmaid's Tale, Lord of the Flies, The Power, and Hunger Games but this is a solid novel that holds its own!

In Garner County, females are believed to have magic, especially girls on the edge of womanhood.  Each year the County banishes the sixteen year olds to a remote gated location to dispel their magic so they may return pure, obedient, and fit for marriage.   But not every girl returns home.  

Those who return do not speak of the grace year because it's forbidden.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James has no desire to be a wife.  She understands that she will become property and all she wants is to be free of the strange superstitions and burdens the women must bear for their human nature.  Her father has taught her many skills that are usually only taught to sons in hopes she will survive her grace year.

The grace year girls must survive the harsh elements, the poachers (men waiting in the woods in hopes of grabbing a girl for horrific purposes), and each other.

"Look around. We are the only Gods here." *

Alone for the first time in their lives, some of the girls are more willing to embrace the magic they've been told that they have and shun others.  A twisted society forms within the gates and readers examine the relationships and motivations of the girls while realizing there's much more wrong than we were initially told.

"But isn't that how every horrible  thing begins? Slow. Insipid. A twisting of the screw." *

Atmospheric and chilling, The Grace Year is a dystopian novel that explores the power women have and how it's abused in male-dominated societies, how religion is used to keep people in line, and how women are systematically divided against one another.

"We hurt each other because it's the only way we're permitted to show our anger. When our choices are taken from us, the fire builds within. Sometimes I feel like we might burn down the world to cindery bits, with our love, our rage, and everything in between." *

Overall, this is a top-notch YA dystopian/horror novel that focuses on female empowerment.  There's some romance but thankfully it doesn't overshadow the strong plot.  I loved some of the unexpected twists that Liggett threw in to make this even more of a page turner.  And the ending.  Oh my.  Such an amazing ending!

"My eyes are wide open, and I see everything now." *

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy YA, horror, dystopia, and speculative fiction/thrillers.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  The Grace Year is scheduled for release on October 8, 2019.

*Quotes included are from a digital advanced reader's copy and are subject to change upon final publication.

Don't let the pink cover fool you - this is not a sweet YA story and the characters are far from likable. The world of the Grace Year is a wild one where only the strong survive. And this is a story of survival - against the odds, against each other, and against ourselves.

In this world, teenage girls are believed to have powers that are dangerous to the men around them. Their magic lives in their very skin. Their sixteenth year is known as The Grace Year. This is the year that the girls of the county are either claimed by men to become wives or unclaimed and forced to work menial labor. But before their status officially changes, they are sent as a group into the woods for a year to rid themselves of their ~unnatural powers~. Some of them return, others aren't so lucky.

Tierney has just entered her Grace Year, She hopes to be unclaimed, as even though being sent to the labor fields is looked down upon, it's better than being a wife. But in the end, it doesn't even matter since surviving the Grace Year is the only thought in her mind. While the girls do have to survive against outside forces - poachers who'd cut them up to bottle the magic that lives within their skins - it's each other that prove to be the hardest to survive against. In a society where women are not allowed to be mad at men or really express any emotions at all, the only people they can turn their anger against are each other. Tierney tries to fight against this inherent belief, but her fellow Grace Year girls aren't so inclined to do so. They revel in their magic and are terrifying in their quest to outlast the woods.

This is a story that I will stick with you. It's a little confusing, a lot terrifying, and of course makes you think about feminism, and how women are treated in society. The world that Tierney and the Grace Year girls live in isn't explained much at all - is it the past, the future - it could be either. The idea that if women band together they can overcome is a good one, albeit overly idealistic. But then again, I don't think it's a bad message for any teen girl to hear.

3.5 stars

The Grace Year is a mash-up of The Handmaid's Tale, Lord of The Flies, and The Crucible and I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting and was riveted for the majority of the story. Is it on par with the classic novels it is reminiscent of? No, probably not. But it's a 5 star from me because it sucked me in and wouldn't let go.
My only complaint is the romance. I feel it takes away from the point this book should be making. In the beginning the protagonist is confident in her decision thar she doesn't want to be married and it was really a bit disappointing to see her throw that out the window for the "right guy."
The Grace Year is an enthralling read and I can absolutely see it being a hit with Young Adult readers.

(I am using this book for my "Dystopian" category in Extreme Book Nerd)

"The Grace Year" was a spotlight book in a recent webinar of mine. I knew I had to give it a try. It's "The Handmaid's Tale" meets "The Village." Yeah, it makes for a riveting read--but a rough one all the same.

Tierney is doing what every sixteen year old girl in the County is doing: preparing for her grace year. This is a time when the girls are banished Outside as their "magic" comes in. If you survive the grace year, you either go and marry the man who had "veiled" you the day you left the County....or if no man claimed you, you were sent to the fields or work houses. And for those who did not make it home? Well, your younger siblings were banished.

Naturally all of the girls are pitted against each other. No one knows who to trust. What is fact? What is fiction? What is truth and what has been turned into a legend? These are things that Tierney finds out.

I almost gave up on this book as I found the writing incredibly rough to start out with. I also get really annoyed with love interests that aren't essential. The two males in the story, Michael and Ryker, do play essential parts. But the reader is given the impression that Tierney wanted more than a guy. So for the book's middle to have a huge love angle, it felt odd. Almost like a betrayal to Tierney's character and the feminist angle the author wanted.

This book highlights a universal truth that I find grievous: girls are vicious to each other!! This is seen throughout the book and is almost more difficult to take than the violence. Still, teenage girls will, sadly, find this part of the book relateable. In fact, I see "The Grace Year" being a huge YA hit. Indeed, I will recommend it on the Bookmobile.

I will leave you with this quote I found so empowering...."It's easy to think of your life as being meaningless out here, a tiny forgotten imprint that can easily be washed away by the next passing storm, but instead of making me feel small, it gives me purpose, more meaning. I'm no more or less important than a small seedling trying to burst through the soil. We all play a part of this earth. And however small, I intend to play mine."

What an anthem!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I've sat down to write this review several times and what has made itself most clear to me is that this review is difficult because <em>The Grace Year</em> by Kim Liggett has a <em>lot</em> to unpack. I don't usually like comparing books to others, but this one really does speak to me as a conglomerate of <em>The Handmaid's Tale</em> and <em>The Hunger Games</em>, with an odd shoutout to Disney's <em>Frozen</em>. Probably not what you expected. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. And <em>damn</em>, was it <em>terrifying</em>.

The world of <em>The Grace Year</em> is a very misogynistic one. At some point within the beginnings of the society, the men banded together to disempower all of the women. They were turned into property, little more than breeding stock. The men choose the futures of the women for them by either taking them as wives or sending them off to be laborers or prostitutes should they not be chosen.

And their biggest method of control is blaming the actions of men on women and their heretic magic; for no man would ever force himself on a woman if her magic hadn't tempted him. So, in one of the most terrifying and elaborate methods of control I've seen in quite some time, at the age of sixteen women are sent away for a year to live within an encampment in order to burn through and rid themselves of all their magic before returning home. Should any woman afterward be accused of harboring her magic, she is immediately executed.

Not only that but as history has shown, the grace year itself is a rather dangerous one. Every year the number of girls who return is significantly less than the number who left. Subjected to the dangers of their magic and the dangers of poachers, who cut them up to sell their parts off as magical remedies to keep people young, many of the girls die during their year away.

I have to admit, I was excited about reading this book. I've always been a fan of dystopian novels and I enjoy watching the characters fight against corrupt societies in order to change them for the better. And something about the way <em>The Grace Year</em> was presented really captured my attention. I've left it rather disturbed, but not unimpressed entirely. I think what has really kept me interested in novels like this is the fact that it builds empowerment to stand up against atrocities.

And living in a rather patriarchal society that is terrifying on its own sometimes, watching women fight back against that is truly something amazing.

The aspects of <em>The Grace Year </em>that ring true and I find most terrifying come from how men often use religion to control women. It's perhaps a bit more subtle nowadays with some religions and it is far more common for women to fight against it, but it is terrifying all the same. <em>The Grace Year</em> is this in an extreme. But there are kernels of truth within it. And in that sense, I found this story quite compelling. If you pay attention, you can piece together all the methods of control that have been put in place rather quickly.

And it is elaborate.

The story as a whole is fairly impressive, though the writing did feel choppy at times. While some events are fairly predictable, others come as a surprise. Much of the story is fast-paced and leaves you eager to read more, while some smaller bits seem to take forever. But the worst thing about this entire book was, unfortunately, the romance. Not only was it <em>very</em> insta-love-y, but it felt forced and contrived.

I didn't like the pairing, I didn't care for his character at all, and it was <em>so rushed</em>. It's incredibly unfortunate when the love interest is flat, but it's even more bothersome when he's unbelievable. Ironically, the biggest reason for this was the fact that much of the time spent building a connection between the two lovers was <em>summarized</em>. Montages work within film, but not so much in a novel. I didn't believe that they were in love despite them saying so both because of the summaries and because they only knew each other for a short period of time.

One thing I will say before I end this review is that if you are looking for a novel that will take down the patriarchy in an incredibly satisfying way, this isn't it yet. <em>The Grace Year</em> very much reads like a book that <em>requires</em> a sequel or two. And, to be fair, the two books I compared it to at the top didn't have satisfying endings of those in power being overthrown in their first novel either. But they definitely set it up well for something like that in the future.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

Blog review link to go live on 08/25/19.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a good match for me. I've loved Kim LIggett's other books, but had a hard time connecting with this one and won't put a review on YABC (as our policy is to only post 3+ star reviews). However, two of our reviewers absolutely loved it (yay!) and have reviewed. I've included their link and star rating below. Thank you for the opportunity!

The Grace Year is the first book I've read by Kim Liggett but it certainly won't be the last. The Grace Year is rated as Young Adult and I am far from that age, but I enjoyed this story so much I'm hoping there is at least one sequel! This book is difficult to put down and I found myself thinking about the characters when not actually reading it. I was given an early copy to review.

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING!
Tierney is such a strong, fierce and human character. This book is about hope, change and the will to stand up for yourself. Tierney experiences uncertainty, unspeakable horrors, first love, heartbreak. But the heartbreak is healed. She loves Ryker, who healed her when she was wounded and showed her how to give life to her fears, her dreams. Then there's Michael, the boy who fell in love with a girl who defied the odds, who became a beacon of hope and who he'd never ask to change for him. Honestly the love in this story is incredibly beautiful. The strength Tierney shows is beautiful as well. Her will to live, her will to survive the Cruel conditions she's been forced to face, simply because she was born a girl is empowering.
And this quote: "That’s the one thing they will never be able to control in me. My wild, wild heart."
It needs to be on every girl's wall.

"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. But everything touches everything else, and I have to believe that some good will come out of all this destruction."

I've seen this book compared to plenty of other YA novels and dystopian novels alike but I feel it definitely stands on its own. It's so many things - magical and reminiscent of a time when women were killed for being 'witches', a love story - both of one's self and others. It's hard to tell if it's set during a time in the past or after civilization has devolved so far that they've reverted back to these old notions.

It's difficult to fully gather my thoughts because there was just so much that I loved about it. I can't say I enjoyed every minute of the story because certain characters and their choices disgusted me. I love the way everything was written and the way things played out even the characters that were detestable and that you knew were nothing but trouble.

The book follows a sixteen-year-old girl named Tierney James from right before she's sent away with girls the same age as her until months after they've returned. She's dealt so many bad cards and somehow manages to stride through everything with this unparalleled grace and strength. She definitely grows up in her year away and comes home with the knowledge that she already knew plenty before picking up what she did.

Human nature can be bad but don't test Mother Nature because she can be just as ruthless, if not, more so. This book drove me to tears a few times. I felt my heart breaking for these girls and these women who haven't figured out how strong they could be as a group - that the rules and regulations set by the men who 'own' them isn't the only way to live a life.

Handmaids Tale meets The Hunger Game meets The Lord of the Flies. After knowing all that how could you not want to pick this up. The Grace Year is about 16 years old girls who are banished into the forest for a whole year to get rid of their magic before they are married or sent to the fields to do labor. Our main protagonist is named Tierney and she is playing survivor of the fittest. While trying to keep the girls she came with alive. If they are not killing each other there are poachers out there killing these magic infested girls to sell their parts.

I enjoyed this read it's been a while since I read a YA Dystopian. I enjoyed reading about the world. I also liked the characters and the author did a good job at keeping me turning the pages. A great read overall!

This feminist dystopian YA novel is brutal, unflinching, and thought-provoking. Initially, I kept waiting for the "chapter" to end until I realized there were no chapters, just sections separated by season. It makes sense, given the way that you lose track of time when you're abandoned out in the wilderness. I was propelled to keep turning page after page out of curiosity, becoming more and more horrified as I understood the simplicity of this county's method to prevent women from being men's equals. This novel is about the challenge of breaking free of ideas that have been ingrained generation after generation, and the slow path to change. It's about learning how to see the world around you. I found the main character Tierney's arc to be very believable. She's sixteen-years old and I don't expect her to be able to single-handedly change things in their county. I appreciate the inclusion of a perspective from someone outside the county, but still part of the vicious cycle, and their impact on Tierney. Perhaps the only issue I had was that the last section of the book felt rushed. Time passed so quickly, but I was curious about how those months had passed. Overall, a great read!

The Grace Year is another of those rare books that has left me speechless. This is what I knew about this book going in…
“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 own 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.
With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.”


I was immediately lured into this world that was at once so bizarre and so familiar in theme. It has all the feels of The Handmaid’s Tale (a dystopian patriarchal society). The Hunger Games (sending away teens who may, or may not, return) and Lord of the Flies (the psychology of people existing under duress and away from the confines of society).
Tierney has just been sent to a remote location for her grace year, and survival against the elements isn’t the only thing she’ll have to endure. Almost immediately the power structure among the thirty-three girls is established and the cruelty of some of them becomes evident, with simmering grudges boiling over into vengeance. Danger also lurks outside the compound as poachers are waiting for the opportunity to kill the grace girls in order to sell their body parts to people looking to capture some of their magic.
From the start to the end my heart was pounding and my mind reeling at every turn of the storyline. Kim Liggett has done an amazing job of building this shocking world and weaving tension and hope amid world that seems so bleak. The Grace Year is available October 8, 2019 and I highly recommend it.
*I received a copy of The Grace Year from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review

I am absolutely obsessed with this book.

being feared and becoming fearless because of it. the rage in every girl’s heart. the flowers. the magic. the plot twists. the repression and the consequential revolution. the handmaid’s tale vibes. just.... the powerful and dreadful energy that this book irradiates—I literally love every single thing about it.

The Grace Year has, without a doubt, become one of my favorite books of the year. the characters are brilliantly built and fascinatingly written. the world they live in, no matter how horrid and repulsive, comes to live vibrantly and vividly in every page in a way that’s so rare, I could literally count on one hand the number of books that have made me feel so intensely involved in their universe that putting the book down feels like coming out of a fever dream. I haven’t read anything by Kim Liggett before but I definitely will be checking out the rest of her books because LORD, I AM DEAD. she's so good!! thank you St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday books for a free copy of The Grace Year!!

This book far exceeded my expectations! One of the best books I’ve read this year. The premise was a very extreme version of our reality, and could be called a cross between Handmaid’s Tale and Lord of the Flies, though the viciousness of teenage girls is to me much uglier and powerful and more frightening than that of boys. This book really got me thinking in the best ways. Loved the protagonist’s realizations at the book’s end. Excellent read.

The Grace Year is definitely in my top 5 books of the year. Its lyrical, harrowing, dangerously feminist, and a must, must, must add to your TBR.

So I absolutely LOVED this book. My top five for the year so far,

Grace Year takes place in a dystopian society where women are either wives or workers and have no say in anything. Being a wife and getting veiled is the most important thing and the highest status. If you aren’t chosen you get a job doing some kind of labor, working the fields or selling at a market. Before you can start you new life as a wife though, you have to go through Grace Year. A year where girls who are sixteen are sent to a “compound” outside of their city and its basically Lord of The Flies. Survival of the fittest, or in reality, survival of the most cunning. Girls who don’t survive must hope their remains make it back or one of their sister is banished to live outside the community. Then we have the poachers. Men who live in the woods and hunt the banished women and girls. The girls are supposedly sent away to “release their magic” so that they are “safe” and can be a part of society. Those who don’t or who are subservient are punished or hanged.


"White ribbons for the young girls, red for the grace year girls, and black for the wives. Innocence. Blood. Death."

Tierney James is entering her grace year but unlike the other girls her age, the LAST thing she wants to do is get a veil. She would rather work in the fields then be a slave to a husband.

Michael is her best friend who she thinks knows her better than anyone until he makes a decision that will change Tierney’s life and make her grace year even more dangerous.

Ryker a poacher but one with some compassion, loyal to the core although his loyalties will be tested,

We never find out how society became what it is and that is a little frustrating but if you just accept that it is what it is, this is a wild ride of a book. Tierney Feels like there is more to the grace year. She doesn’t believe in magic or the way society is run. She wants to be different, to be a change. But first she must survive. Seeing friendships and loyalties change by the minute and what these girls are actually capable of doing to each other its a wonder anyone makes it home. Of course there’s the obligatory romance but it does actually play a part and is not your typical YA fluff plot point.

I highly recommend this book and give it 5 of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martins Press for a review copy of this story

Reminiscent of . . . Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies . . . City of Ember . . . maybe even a pinch of Plato's cave analogy. While the story line itself was engaging, I couldn't help being drawn to, and distracted by, thoughts of previous books and losing the focus on THIS story ("oh, yeah, just like in___"). Mostly, it seemed to be a female version of LOTF, but with a specific female premise. That being said, the story itself kept my interest and provided enough tension to propel the plot forward.

Not having chapters was distracting, especially for folks who prefer to place their bookmarks at chapter divisions. Perhaps because of this, the books gave me the impression of a draft rather than a final project.