Book: The Grace Year
Author: Kim Liggett
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Date : October 8, 2019 (Canada)
Rating: 5/5

Review:

Haunting. The Grace Year is going to be the book that haunts my dreams, and my waking hours. There’s something about the writing in this story that creeps up my spine, crawls across my skull, and curls my fingers around the pages. Kim Liggett wrote something brilliant when she sat down to write the life of Tierney James and the rules that govern her every moment.

Every small thing that happens before the grace year sets up the consequences of every action or thought in Garner County. The men have the final say, the women have been broken into obeying and the girls are scared into obeying by witnessing these consequences.

Tierney James lives in Garner Country and is next in line to be one of the grace year girls. Stubborn, smart and level headed, Tierney is a complex character that recognizes when she can push back and when to stay silent, which makes her a great protagonist. Her character arc really set the tone for the book and pushes against the boundaries Kim Liggett sets in place. Tierney isn’t docile, she’d observant and clever and a sixteen year old girl who wants nothing more than to survive the grace year to make sure her family isn’t punished by her actions.

That one simple thought is all the drive that this book is about. Actions have consequences but sometimes consequences should be challenged.

The grace year is kill or be killed, learn or die, concur and adapt or die. This book is incredibly deep and painful. Dark but filled with so much light and rare moments of hard forged victories both small and large. I go from smiling to tearing up and the thought of throwing it across the room (in joy and frustration) is a frequent occurrence.

The ending was perfect in a way that left me angry, and heartbroken for Tierney. I can still feel the pain a few days after finishing The Grace Year. I feel like I’ll never really forget it.

*I received an e-arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Great book! I wasn't sure what to expect from this pink cover but it defiantly isn't for the faint of heart. This fast paced thriller was so well written it reminded me of something like hunger games meets handmaids tale. I have been behind on my reading list and this one got me right back into it. I couldn't stop page turning to see what happens next.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett was my surprise book of 2019. I read the blurb on Goodreads, and it did intrigue me somewhat, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was slightly reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, which I read probably over forty-five years ago. Ms. Liggett puts a modern-day twist on the dystopian genre showing us that women are not necessarily the fairer, weaker sex.

The Grace Year is not an easy book to read. It is gritty, disturbing, and dark but also uplifting and hopeful at the same time. This book will keep you thinking long after you have finished reading. The book is both beautifully and harshly written. That may seem contradictory, but it’s the only way I can explain how I felt while reading it. Harshly because of how all the women are treated in the country of this dystopian setting. The monstrous, nefarious acts the grace year girls inflict upon each other while in exile. Beautiful, at times, because amid the horrors these grace year girls endure some of them find joy in womanhood and friendship. The mental images the author paints with her words seize your heart and soul from the first to the last page. I loved the way the author incorporates flowers throughout the book as a way of communication; it showed pure ingenuity. The book grabbed me from the first sentence;

“No one speaks of the grace year.”

The Grace Year tells the story of a dystopian society where women are perceived to have magical powers that can control and lead men astray. When the women of the county turn sixteen, they are sent away as a group, to spend the year releasing their magic into the wild. Only after they release their magic and are deemed pure can they return to civilization to be wives or work in the fields.

I would love to tell you more of the story, but there are many twists and turns that I don’t want to reveal.

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

Tierney James, our main character, wants a better life for herself and the women in the country. Tierney is an easy character to relate to, she is strong and resilient, but she also is plagued by self-doubt. There are many other supporting characters, all of which the author does an excellent job of developing. My favorite was Ryker, and I loved the way he saw through Tierney’s hard exterior and saw her for the beautiful person she was.


“The men will never end the grace year. But maybe we can.”


Although this book is a work of fiction, the author’s writing is so vivid and realistic; I had no trouble visualizing the entire story. I would love to tell you more of the story, but there are many twists and turns that I don’t want to reveal. I highly recommend this book.

** Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published**

*** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this is my honest opinion.

4.5 stars rounded up. The Grace Year was... wow? I really don't have the words for it but I will say that it's probably one of my best reads of 2019! Whoever said it's reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale and Lord of the Flies was absolutely spot on. It's dark and full of twists. It's mind-bending and insanely spooky and makes you question whether the magic is real or not. It's also surprisingly violent and gruesome--don't let that beautiful pink cover fool you. This book is not full of roses and fluff! It's a dark read that makes you think and question your role in perpetuating inequalities (whether you know it or not). It's set in a dystopian society but I have no doubt that elements of this story will ring true for many women because on some level, we have all experienced what these (young) women go through. It took me on an emotional and mental journey that I was totally unprepared for (lol) but hell, it was worth it! I didn't expect to find myself in tears by the end of this book, but there I was at 4AM crying into my pillow.

I loved (MC) Tierney's character and how she developed throughout the story. Most of the other characters were minor, but I still enjoyed the roles that they played too, especially Ryker, Gertie, Michael and Tierney's parents. The story was tense and fast-paced; I always felt as if some unknown horror was lurking around the corner waiting to be unleashed. There's a pervasive eeriness to Liggett's writing that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and goosebumps constantly rising on my skin, especially towards the latter half. I felt tortured throughout the read as the women in the county and the grace year girls kept pitting themselves against each other, feeding into the man’s idea that women cannot control or take care of themselves. I wanted to scream CAN'T YOU SEE THAT'S NOT HELPING YOU?! so much that I almost threw my Kindle in frustration (I didn't). But things do turn around and after everything the girls survived, what happens in the end brought me to tears. The defiance and camaraderie, the willingness to acknowledge the need for change, and to open their hearts to making it happen by taking just that small step against the patriarchy, made me emotional AF.

If there’s anything to critique it’s that: 1) I don’t think the romance was necessary. It also came off as hypocritical of Tierney, especially considering her strong stance on marriage throughout the story. And 2) I wish that there was more groundwork for how this society came to be. There were hints that things were different beyond the borders, but how did this county and the poachers come to be this way? I would’ve loved to know more of the backstory to this world. 3) This might be because I read the ARC, but there were some editing errors that I hope are caught before publication (such as when new paragraphs would start, signifying the passing of time etc.) because the way it reads right now, it goes from one sentence to the next with months skipped in between. Hopefully my explanation of that last point makes sense :)

This isn't a story that has a typical HEA, and it was a little bit open to interpretation (imo), but it does bring hope and that's just as important. I honestly can't wait until everyone gets the chance to read this because I’d highly encourage you to pick it up. I’m so excited to see what else Liggett has in store!

My review will be posted on my blog closer to the publication date. Thanks to NetGalley, the authors and publishers for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man...where to begin. I LOVED the premise of this story and how everything played out....seeing without seeing. Some complained of the execution, and while it wasn’t perfect, i found it didn’t really bother me. I’d definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
(Tw: death (so much death), talk of torture, severe injuries)
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett.
Wow.
This was a hard read for me to put down, I had so many questions and wanted to know what was going to happen next so bad.
At sixteen years of age the girls of Tierney’s village are banished from home for a year to burn out “the dangerous magic” that resides in them. Not all the girls return at the end of the year known as The Grace Year and no one talks about it. They’re not allowed to. When the girls come back though it’s like they’re different people. What goes on out there?
Tierney is about to find out.
Is the magic real? What is the greatest danger they face during their banishment? The poachers that will kill them if they leave the barrier they’re confided to? The wildlife? Nature? Or is it the girls themselves?
The story is a tough read, awful things happen to the girls. Lots of death. But it’s an interesting, provocative read. And very much a thriller.
There is a part where the story slows for a bit but once the story moves out of that bit it moves a long quite fast again. I feel like this is one I’ll have to read again at a later date to savor more of the detail in the story because this time I raced through it because I needed to know where the author was going to take us. (On a ride, Kim Liggett is taking you on a ride.)

An absolutely harrowing young adult dystopian novel with heavy themes of female empowerment, the Grace Year has stayed with me long after I finished the last page. It is very dark but also has tiny nuggets of hope put in here and there. It was horrible what the men of the village did to the women, but almost worse what the women did to each other. Many lessons to be learned.

This one was INCREDIBLE. So feminist in a quiet way that you don't really see coming, full of twists that I never expected. The Handmaids Tale x The Crucible x The Lord of the Flies is totally underway here. The last two notes I took for this one were: "What the fresh hell??", and "Wow that was a trip". HIGHLY recommend!

This was such a good book, and I think it's an important read in this day and age as well. Tierney, the main character, is a strong representation for women, and I enjoyed her character arc. I would say this along the lines of The Handmaid's Tale, but a YA version with other aspects rolled in there as well.

In a male dominated society, girls at 16 are first of all claimed as future wives and then spend a year on an island with all of the other 16 year old girls before they return to be married into a life of servitude to their husbands. This is the story of one group of 16 year old girls and their 'Grace Year' on the island focusing on their battles to survive their year on the island, their battles with each other and their need to achieve equality. There is a lot to dislike in the civilization's culture and customs...but more to like in the growth and maturity of the individuals women throughout the year. I enjoyed this book.

This book captured my attention from the first page and it kept with me once I was finished. It is not often that I continue to think and reflect on what I have just read.

I think what stuck out to me the most was – that amidst this terrible situation and society, through all the trials that these girls go through – there was this sliver of hope laced throughout. A red flower on a backdrop of darkness. You are left feeling like MAYBE – just MAYBE things can change and it can start with one person – one group – one idea.

The girls in this village are raised to believe that they possess a “magic” that makes men unaccountable for their actions. They are taught that the things that happen to them and around them are their fault – that is it the magic that they possess that causes the men to act the way they do. When you no longer have value to your family or husband all it takes is a word and they are able to execute you or send you outside the walls to the wilderness. It is a bleak existence and one that is ripe for change.

This book is quite graphic in content and I would suggest it for older teens and adults.

I found this one so... frustrating. The concept was amazing, but the execution left so much to be desired. It was a quick read and had some of the general dystopian plotlines that can be found in countless other books. But my god did I LOVE the idea of dangerous teenage girls, I just wish the follow through was better. This one falls right in the middle for me rating wise.

SO GOOD! Kind of like a YA Hndmaid’s Tale meets Lord of the Flies female version. Love Tierney as the main character and how she represents women and girls so fiercely. I cringed, I gasped, and I smiled throughout this book and I think it is an important one for girls and women to read.

What a great book! I didn’t expect to be so into this dystopian book that I couldn't put it down.
Tierney lives in a village where once a girl turns 16, she is considered a woman and she must go around the village and present herself to the eligible men so that they can decide if she will make a good wife. On veiling day, the girls who are chosen as future wives are given a veil and when they return are considered married to the man that chose them. Anyone not chosen as a wife, will be given a job. The girls are all sent into the woods for a year, for what they call the grace year. This is done so that they can rid themselves of magic and then return pure for their husbands. Not all girls survive the grace year. There is a gated encampment but if a girl wanders out, she is considered prey and can be captured and killed by the poachers who sell their body parts as they are highly sought after and considered to bring youth and beauty to whoever consumes them. Tierney soon finds that she is an outsider because she does not feel the magic and is unwilling to embrace it. She tries to make things better for the girls at the encampment but everything she does is destroyed. The girls are going crazy and Tierney is starting to lose it too but she is determined to get thru the grace year and go back home. With twists and turns along the way, it was a great book and I even enjoyed the ending!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC i.n exchange for my honest review!

Wow! I'm speechless! It's not often a book can do that to me. After reading the final page (several times over!), I sat in a trance-like state with tears trickling down my cheeks, trying to wrap my head around this story and message. Hoping to sleep on it, I retired for the night only to toss and turn with scenes and characters from the story haunting my dreams. I arose this morning restless - still trying to find a voice for the raw emotions this book evoked in me, but tell me . . . how do you review a book that gutted you? How do I tell fellow readers that while this book may flay you wide open as it did me, read it anyway because a spark of hope will linger, catch flame, and spread like wildfire afterwards? Well, this is me telling you: Read this book! It delivers a powerful message that everyone, most especially girls/women, need to heed. Together we rise, divided we fall...

I'm not going to spend a lot of time rehashing the plot line of The Grace Year. You'll get the drift from the blurb and other reviews. It's a highly atmospheric, visual read that crawled under my skin and transported me to the isolated camp alongside the grace girls. I felt their anguish, fear, despair, horror, and yes - even the impending madness that descended upon them, seeping into their minds, urging them to give into their primal instincts. In a desperate battle for survival, they hover within the stockade, fearing the horrors that threaten them from beyond - before turning their sights on each other. Liggett's brilliant rendering of this story creates tension, suspense, and apprehension page by page, scene after scene, and it took root inside me, squeezing my heart, and making it difficult to breathe. I had to step away from it briefly about halfway through, catch my breath, let my heart rate return to normal. And then, I picked it back up and burned through the rest of the story until, as I mentioned at the start of this review, I sat speechless.

The Grace Year is raw, graphic, violent, at times horrifying, and yet it's a highly entertaining, compulsive, page-turning story of survival and unity and eternal hope. It's a story that explores the many complex relationships between girls and women of all ages. It's a fantastic, beautiful story that pushed and shoved its way to the top of my Favorites List. Read this book! I'd give it all the stars in heaven if I could!

The Grace Year, Kim Liggett’s upcoming novel, is a fast-paced thriller that shows a dystopian world where each year the 16-year-olds in the county are sent away to rid themselves of their magic before they can settle down into marriage or work.

I was sucked in almost immediately by the world that Liggett created and following Tierney’s journey into her grace year was so much fun. It took turns that I did not expect, and while a few parts early on in the novel seemed a little obvious to me, I was surprised by much of the rest and the ending was a mystery to me until the very last pages. It was well-written and while it had clear ties to other dystopian works where women are oppressed, such as Handmaids Tale, Liggett brought her own voice to a new version of a horror that we should be all too afraid of, even in 2019.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Going into "The Grace Year," I only knew its comparisons: "Hunger Games," "The Handmaid's Tale," and "Lord of the Flies." It definitely draws on many of the themes and even plot elements of these classic dystopian horrors. For me, it invoked the horror I felt reading "The Crucible." While Miller's play is an allegory of anti-Communist hysteria in the 1950s, "The Grace Year" responds to systemic patriarchal norms and the surveillance of women's bodies in contemporary society.
In Garner County, women are marked by their age and status. The founding story of both community and faith is that Eve brought chaos and destruction; her "magic," passed on to all women, must be controlled. At 16, men will choose wives and those unchosen will work in fields, as maids, etc. All girls will then live away from society in the woods for the "grace year" for their "magic" to be used up.
Tierney has no interest of being a wife and longs for freedom to live as she pleases, even if it involves working in fields. However, her grace year doesn't begin as expected and the novel follows the trauma and horrors that women can inflict upon each other, perpetuating the patriarchy even in the absence of men. It is this element, where other girls accuse Tierney of horrible things that reminded me of "The Crucible." Society so controls young girls that when they are allowed a fleeting period of agency, they use it to harm others, because they don't know another way. Tierney frequently muses upon this and yet despite resenting the "mean girls" at the core of accusations and cruelty, she still tries to make life better so that other girls do not have to suffer.
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but "The Grace Year" is atmospheric, nightmarish, and powerful. There are many other elements of this story I really enjoyed (the language of flowers, for one) and its gripping portrayal of both women's solidarity and rivalry. Tierney knows that our magic is women's power to persist and that the greatest strength often doesn't come in acts of bravery, but in those of compassion, sympathy and love.
Issues/questions/discussions of girls' sexuality, autonomy, and existence are not easy themes.. I recommend that educators tell their students about comparable titles (i.e. the ones I've listed above) to help readers make an informed decision about The Grace Year. I think it's an extraordinary text but not for everyone and that's ok. It is a story I will be thinking about for many, many years.

Although this wasn't the exceptional read I was hoping for, it was entertaining and quick. This story is more along the lines of what I was expecting from The Wilder Girls. A mix of The Handmaid's Tale and Lord of the Flies, but the story falls a little flat because there was no background or history of the society. We know why there's a grace year but not how it came to that point. What exactly happened to bring it to this point? Camp life was barely skimmed over with huge chunks of time thrown out, making it difficult to truly get the full picture. Not horrible but could have been great!

To say I adored this book, is an understatement. I absolutely loved it!! The writing, the prose, the characters, the twists, and turns, the love story. It was all incredible. One of my favorite books 0f 2019. Hands Down. Now I want all the Kim Ligget books!!!!

In a nutshell, this book is everything I didn't even know I was hoping for when I picked up The Handmaid's Tale for the first time. But it's almost a disservice to compare the two, which are very different entities despite some similar themes; The Grace Year is utterly unlike anything I've ever read. Considering I'm not generally a fan of thrillers or dystopian novels, it's even more impressive how strongly this one resonated with me.

I don't want to talk too much about the plot or motifs because I think they're most powerful if each reader discovers and interprets them on their own, but seriously, this is a masterpiece of a novel. The Grace Year is so enthralling that I read it in two sittings, absolutely could not put it down. It's suspenseful and brutal, with social commentary that pulls no punches and incredible symbolism. The pacing is fantastic — keeping you guessing, hoping, praying.

Balancing believable flaws with likability is tricky, especially in a teenage-girl protagonist, yet Liggett manages to pull it off. Tierney is far from perfect, but she's such a good person. And really, just about all the characters have hidden depths — as in real life, people are messy and complex, existing all along the spectrum from good to wicked. And they just might surprise you, for better or worse.