Honestly, this is one of the best books of 2019! Picture The Handmaid's Tale mixed with Lord of the Flies and you'll get this horrific beauty of a book! I'll admit, the overall story is nothing we haven't seen before - our protagonist, Tierney, lives in a world where women are seen as dangerous beings, possessing magic that can lure men, and as a result of this, the women's lives are tightly controlled - they can either become loyal wives or (if they're not desired) work in the fields. They also, in their sixteenth year, are banished to a small, enclosed clearing - surrounded by Poachers ready to catch the girls and sell their 'magical' body parts - outside of their hometown so that they can release their magic and return purified. This is called the Grace Year, and this is where it gets all Lord of the Flies.

This story is about survival - not surviving the men or the wilderness, but surviving the other women. I absolutely loved how the author portrayed women in this book - they are terrifying but so damn real. They are manipulative, sneaky and mean, just like the girls who bully one another in high school, but the ease with which they turned into gruesome, violent animals was what made this book so disturbing. Some really horrible things happen in this book, and still, it somehow managed to feel uniquely female. The characters became unpredictable to the point where I was stressing the hell out, reading as fast as I could, needing to know what happened next. Tierney was also an interesting character to see the world through, because while she's got hints of Katniss Everdeen, Jude Duarte, and other 'strong female YA characters', she didn't feel over-the-top or like a Mary Sue - she remained naive and vulnerable enough to feel real. I think the biggest strength of her character was the way her thoughts were structured (it's a 1st person POV) and the fact that she persisted and survived so many horrific things (she's a difficult character to describe, just read the book!) It was truly a harrowing (and inspiring) exploration into internalised sexism and the more subtle ways living in a patriarchy fucks up everyone's psyche. Oh, and the life-threatening danger of IGNORANCE - that's a big theme as well. The book did have its issues - the overall pacing felt a little too quick and definitely sped up towards the end, and there were a couple of plot points that I personally hate in YA books (I won't spoil, but if you know me you can probably guess lol) - still the wild ride this story took me on honestly excuses all of that. I'm still lowkey shook that I was able to read and enjoy those plot points that I usually hate - that's how engrossing this book is!!! I feel like I'm just rambling now, but this book surprised me with how intricately it portrayed the dark side of the female psyche and the ramifications of generations of repressed anger. IT WAS SO DAMN GOOD.

Sometimes there are books that grab you from the first page and you are still thinking about hours after you put it down, this is definitely one of them. This book is full of rage, of passion, and of what can be overcome.

This story exists in a world where women have power, power over men, but they are sent away in their 16th year, the Grace Year, so that they can tame these powers and come back either be dutiful wives, or labourers. Except not everyone comes home, and hose that do are scared both mentally and physically. No one knows exactly what goes on in that year away, but no one knows what is worse; the elements, the poachers in the woods, or the girls themselves.

Tiereny knows from the beginning that this isn't the life that she wants, but she has no idea how to do so in a society that is pushing her in one direction.

This book took me in a lot of directions that I wasn't expecting and it was hard for me to put the book down from the first to the last page. This book explores womanhood, friendship, and how to break away from what everyone believes.

This book has been called a mixture between "The Lord of the Flies" and "The Handmaid's Tale" and I believe it does just that.

This book unfortunately was not for me at all. I feel like it had great potential, as the story idea itself is a great concept and I loved the feminist undertones, but I really didn't enjoy the execution and writing style.

The whole thing seemed to be a bit over dramatic. The story moves along really fast which I feel like a lot of people will love but I actually like things to move a bit slower. Things seemed to happen without any lead up. They just all of a sudden happened and I was like how did we get here. Too much happens in a very short period of time. I couldn't absorb it all and really feel it. Not much character development at all.

I liked the strong female lead and I do appreciate what she tried to do. Women working together and supporting each other to overcome the barriers put against them by men and even other women. Women have the power to do so much when they work together. I found though that there were situations in the book that seemed to undermine her message such as the fact that all the other girls her age that are in the book are portrayed as mindless followers of the rules that cant think for themselves.

It also came off as a bit preachy. Instead of just telling the story and letting us absorb the message ourselves within the story, it would just tell the story and then sum it all up in a little blurb after explaining it.

Didn't care for the romance either or the outcome of it. I can't really say much about it because I don't want to give any spoilers but I don't like how the romance changed the main characters outlook on things. I felt like it undermined a lot of the great girl power stuff that was there.

I will have to admit though that because it was so fast paced, exciting and I wanted to see where the story was going to go, I couldn't put this down and read through it very fast. It pulled me in right from the start and I found it hard to put down.

I do think that teenage girls are going to love this book because it is so fast and exciting and I predict that it will definitely be a hit book with them.

I felt that I read two different books here. The epigraph features two quotes, one from The Handmaid’s Tale and the other from Lord of the Flies. Indeed, at least the first half of the book seemed to be a melding of the two stories, and not always a successful one at that. Liggett writes well, and I liked Tierney, the protagonist. But the echoes of the two books from the epigraph made at least the first half of the story feel derivative, and I never quite bought the reasoning behind some of the details of Liggett’s world.

The main premise is of a repressive, patriarchal society that sends its sixteen-year-old girls off to an island for a year to rid themselves of their dangerous witchy magic which supposedly can ensnare righteous men. Life there is brutal, with danger not only from the girls’ savagery with each other but from an outside group as well. But the society’s belief and fear of “magic” seemed tenuous at best, and the extremes to which the society goes to rid itself of it beggared belief and seemed to be added mostly to differentiate this story from its predecessors. <spoiler> I found the whole notion of deliberately sending off their girls to die/kill each other/kill themselves to be hard enough to buy. But paying outcasts literally to butcher the girls and then for members of society to cannibalize them made absolutely no sense and seemed to be added for the shock value. </spoiler>

The last part of the book does, indeed, take a turn away from those earlier stories with a few twists and surprises. But even some of these, while a welcome change from what I expected, left me questioning the reasoning behind them. <spoiler> If there was such a network of women working to change society, why in the world wouldn’t they break the silence more overtly about the Grace Year at least to those girls most likely to join them? After all, the set-up was one designed to weed out potential rebels. And what kind of patriarchal society would give up leadership to a seventeen-year-old boy? </spoiler> All in all, Liggett’s writing was smooth and skillful enough to carry me through the whole story, but I finished with a vaguely dissatisfied feeling.

I really liked this book. I thought the characters were well fleshed out and the worldbuilding made the story come to life. I did struggle a bit a first with the dystopian aspect. I'd love to see this as a movie, or a storytelling podcast.

A provocative novel about young women being sent into the woods to release their power, the power the men claim over them. It is a tragic and empowering novel all at once because the novel focuses on the power these women have, or rather do not have and the voices they inside them.

History has proven that men like to base their weaknesses on women. This novel capitalizes on that idea in a setting like that of the Salem Witch Trials. However, instead of condemning a woman to death for their “magic,” although that does happen, here they send them off at sixteen to fend for themselves in the world and rid themselves of their so-called magic. Living alone in the wild gives the girls a chance to release any frustrations they have because, after this, their lives become nothing more than glorified prisons. The young women in this novel live in a society reminiscent of that in The Handmaid’s Tale, one where they are only valuable if they have children and become the voiceless wives they were meant to be, women with no thoughts of their own. That is what is so provocative about this novel because it is relevant to today. However, for Tierney, she fights and goes against the notion. Tierney does not believe in the magic she is a girl of science and fact, and that is what makes her stand out as a character. As a character, Tierney is both fierce and willful, but the part that resonates with the reader is how she pulls herself out when she falters. In these moments, when she thinks of breaking and conforming to the social norm bred out of a culture of misogyny and sexism, the reader sees the strength she has as a female character to fight against it.

That is what makes this novel so compelling the fact that these girls are put into a box and yet, even those who do conform, want nothing more than to escape the boxes. These girls want to express their frustrations, their anger at the world and share their opinions and ideas to make the world a better place. Ultimately, all these girls want to strive for is a world of equality, a world where they do not have to fear the men persecuting them.

As a story, it is compelling and thoughtful. The rising tension keeps the reader rooted to the story, and the story itself, the magic aspect, it keeps the reader guessing as to whether this “magic” is real or just a powerplay used to keep the women subservient. It leaves room for so much discussion and so much thought-provoking nature. It has great twists and turns, as well as incredible character development. Ultimately the tension in the novel and the gripping nature following the brutality of these girls who are so forced to fit into this little box and still live and die every day, much like Schrodinger’s cat, brings a resounding message to the story.

What a trip! Extremely hard to put down, unlike the poor women and girls in this novel. In a society where a woman’s only value is her ability to bear sons ( and too a far lesser extent, daughters) there isn’t much hope. Girls in their sixteenth year go to a remote location for their grace year. It is forbidden to talk about this year, so they are sorely unprepared for the dangers including the poachers just outside camp.

Sooo much happens in this book in just a little over a year! Despite this, there are some gaps in the story, perhaps for a sequel to fill in for us? Ie- Tierney our main character lives outside the camp for a number of months in the year. We only have a general idea of what has gone on in camp in that time, we also have no idea what things were like back in the colony for the year.

The ending manages to both satisfy but leave you wanting more, I want to know what will happen in many characters lives as time passes. This book is absolutely going to be a bestseller!

Overall I enjoyed The Grace Year and would recommend it to fans of the Handmaid's Tale. I thought some parts of this were really strong and I liked the worldbuilding, however, it was not clear how quickly time was moving throughout the novel which led to some confusion. I liked that it was broken up into seasons but then months moved so quickly during these seasons that some of the character and relationship development didn't feel earned.

I liked the main character Tierney and enjoyed the way she changed throughout the novel. She constantly fights against her restraints and talks a big game but then becomes terrified and unsure once she is met with consequences. I liked her relationships with the other girls in her grace year and the empowering messages for women. Strength and unity were huge themes throughout the novel.

The middle was a little meh but I think a large part of that was my confusion with the pacing and time passing.

Wow. That's how you will feel after reading this book. I was intrigued by the fact that it is in the same vein as The Handmaid's Tale, and it does not disappoint. I read it over two nights - not because it was short, but because I could not put it down. Seriously, I neglected my children, husband and house so that I could finish this book. I would highly recommend it!

I went through a period where all I wanted to read were dystopian novels, but they became so popular that they started coming out in droves and the qualilty of work was not as high as some of my favorite dystopian novels, so I stopped reading them all together afer a few disappointing series. The Grace Year
sounded like it wasn't going to be the exact same book as so many other dystopian books over the last decade have been so I reluctantly picked it up. I am so glad I did. This was a breath of fresh air in the dystopian world. I absolutely couldn't put it down. It reminded me of a cross between The Giver and The Hunger Games. There were some interesting twists that I enjoyed being revealed and I thought the cliff hanger was excellent although now I can't wait for whatever is next in what will hopefully be a series! I absolutely recommend The Grace Year to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction.

Tierney lives in a world where women are feared for the magic they innately possess. They're not allowed to gather in groups without supervision, hum, or dream. When girls are 16, they are sent away to live together for a year in an encampment far away to dispel their magic before they can rejoin the village and begin their adult lives. While they're gone, they're hunted by poachers and ghosts alike, but the most immediate danger might come from the scariest source of all...each other.

This book has shades of Lord of the Flies, a major dose of The Handmaid's Tale, as well a little bit of The Hunger Games and that M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Village. It's a feminist dystopian novel where girls/women are forced by men to see each other as the enemy until one is brave enough to unite them and make a stand. Tierney has always felt different and like she is destined to let down her family because she doesn't long for a future with a husband but for a chance to work hard and change the world. She's smart and she asks questions, and where she lives, that carries a lot of risk along with it. She's clearly a fighter who imagines a different life for herself, her sisters and her friends.

This isn't a happy book, by any means. There are some awful, gory things that happen as the girls learn to live together and try to survive their "Grace Year." Women bullying each other, ganging up on each other, extending the hand of friendship only to stab each other in the back...it's awful but it's also something every girl has experienced shades of (hopefully not to this murderous degree!) at some time or another. However, it isn't a spoiler to say that there are some that band together and choose to live differently: supporting each other against a common enemy, working together for a better future. Despite the horrors described in this story, it is, ultimately, a hopeful one.

There were a ton of twists and turns here, and I didn't see most of them coming. I couldn't put the book down because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. There are some heartbreaking losses and several parts that made me want to cheer. You will experience ALL the feels as you work your way through this book. It's a deceptively simple tale with a much deeper message, and it works exceptionally well as both a horror story AND a feminist manifesto.

I'm not completely sure exactly what happened in that ending (I need to discuss with others who've read it to see if they interpreted it as I did), but I'm thrilled that Elizabeth Banks is going to direct the movie adaptation and can't wait to see it.

A fascinating premise and terrifying but poignant execution by Kim Liggett.

**Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!**

I would have enjoyed a little more setup in the beginning so that I could better understand what sort of world I was stepping into. There was also some information left out due to time jumps, and I feel like that could have helped me get on board during the slower parts. Although even when there was a small lull, the writing was enough to keep me interested in reading on.

I am not sure what to say about this book - it was a little slow to pick up but boy when it did...it did. This is a book that will keep you thinking about the characters and way of life long after you have finished. It reminded me of hunger games but was so much more with different twists and unexpected outcomes as well as a different way of life. I had high expectations from reading g the description and find myself even more impressed than I would have originally thought. Looking forward to more by this author
.

<b>This is the feminist <i>The Hunger Games</i> meets <i>Lord of the Flies</i> you didn't know you needed.</b>

The very, very pink cover promises a frillier story within, perhaps a sweet romance included and a satisfying happy ending. What you actually open up and get is a heartbreaking, empowering, gory tale of women rebelling in their oppressive dystopian society, living in the wilderness for a year to rid themselves of the magic that makes men do stupid stuff, because <b>men are trash no matter what society you live in.</b>

Tierney James embodies the Chosen Female to the tee, many versions of Katniss Everdeens and Tris Priors within her headstrong, curious personality. She has the inner strength and endurance each female warrior needs to be the heroine of their community, along with no real regard for their own personal safety. Except Tierney is also exceptionally ignorant about the love others feel for her, and the trust and faith they've had in her since the beginning. One of the most beautiful parts of this story is the underlying, subtle unity of women rebelling throughout. Tierney isn't the first, nor the last. She may make the most drastic of statements, but the change isn't started because of a teenage girl and it certainly won't end with one. <b>What a message to send to the generations of today.</b>

I am so glad movie rights are already sold and people hired for an adaptation of this, but please God, make this a good one. I have yet to see such a unique take on this story since <i>The Hunger Games</i> itself in 2008. That may seem mainstream now, but back then it was revolutionary. <b>This will be that next game-changer, I promise.</b> I love how feminist this story is, centralizing on female friendships and relationships within. I will never tire of female friendship in stories. Nor will I tire of scary books, not just scary because they're horror genre (which this definitely is), but scary because it mirrors current society. Nothing like a book to splash that metaphorical cold water in your face!

This book is a brutal, survivalist, anxiety ridden ride that you will not be able to put down for even a second. When it comes out this fall it needs to be on your tbr cart or nightstand immediately. Also, this would be a fantastic book club pick for those interested. I buddy read it and we had MUCH to discuss and debate, some ideas still split down the middle. Easily one of the most thought-provoking reads I've come across.


TW: transphobia, homophobia, oppression, implications of sexual abuse/rape, murder, gore


<i>Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an early copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own.</i>

This book blew me away and honestly, I'm itching to reread it as it is so I might do that! This book did everything I wanted Wilder Girls to have and more. It sparks a great discussion on the patriarchy and the pressures put on young girls and women and how often society pits us against each other. It also teaches to forgive and be kind to yourself.
It made me cry in the best way. I can't recommend this book enough, just go read it now, absolutely my favorite book of the year so far.

I loved this book.

I am a fan of dystopian novels, and this one did not disappoint.
It reminds me of quite a few novels all rolled into one, a combination of all their best parts.
Raw, violent, moving.

Will definitely read again, and am now going to check out anything written by Kim Liggett.

Pretty good. definitely could be better. I wish the different parts were broken down by chapters . the ending left me wanting a follow up to see if Grace was able to change things. 3 1/2 stars.

Take equal parts of “The Crucible”, “The Power”, and “The Hunger Games”, and you get “The Grace Year”.
This was a fascinating and compelling read. In this dystopia, Tierney wants to avoid being a wife at any cost. She has done everything in her power to make her unsuitable for a husband. She plans on being a worker, doing hard labor for the rest of her life after she returns from her grace year. Assuming that she does return. The specifics of the Grace Year is never spoken of, but they do know that they must be sent into the woods to rid themselves of their magic. Magic which has the power to compel men, and drive other women mad with envy. While no one knows what happens during the grace year, they can imagine based on the scars that cover the women who do make it back.
The plot was fantastic. I never had any idea what was going to happen or where the story was going. It certainly kept me on my toes. Tierney was a great main character, strong and selfless. The rest of the characters were well developed and memorable. This book is a great addition to the dystopian genre.

The Grace Year invoked a sense of sympathy for the women in the novel and reminded of the dire situation the women in our world experience in the face of a patriarchal society.

Pretty thrilling, alright.

It was a pretty disturbing read. There were a lot of contrast between how the girls were portrayed and how the situation really was like. For example, we were presented with lace, we were presented with flowers, and we were presented with a danger that lurked, which stood in stark contrast to that superficial feminine imagery procured by the men in the novel. That had been particularly shocking for me. Similarly, the interaction between Tierney and the rest of the girls were equally shocking. Their reaction to each other and their situation are pretty damn close to our reality in terms of how people react to liberation and progress. The Grace Year left me plenty appalled with the maltreatment of women. I wanted to scream.

However, I didn't find it the perfect book it was. While I did love the romance, I don't think that it suited the story's narrative. Another issue i have with the plot was the lack of the town's history. Given the way the book ended, maybe there would be a sequel? There's so much to unpack, I'd love for a sequel.

Also, you'd think that Tierney would kick serious ass being the badass girl she was.

Ultimately, it does not have the height of tension or horror that The Handmaid's Tale, which it has been compared to, has. And, as far as the premise go, I suppose the comparison wasn't unreasonable. Despite these slight imperfections, without a doubt, The Grace Year was a pretty fantastic read, i was rather entertained. Currently in a book slump, but I ate this all up at one go.

Considerado uma mistura de O Conto da Aia e Jogos Vorazes, The Grace Year - ou O Ano da Graça em tradução livre - foi uma leitura muito surpreendente. Cheguei a comentar com vocês que não levo muita fé quando são feitas comparações deste tipo, mas desta vez deu muito certo. The Grace Year tem a própria identidade, ele apenas bebe destas fontes de uma maneira muito inteligente e instigante.

Há poucos dias, Neal Shusterman, um dos meus autores favoritos, disse que distopias eram escritas para servirem de precaução, não para servirem de manual de instrução. Ler um livro como The Grace Year em tempos onde vemos líderes cada vez mais misóginos e machistas chegando ao poder é muito importante; importante para abrir nossos olhos, para mostrar como as coisas podem piorar se não ficarmos atentos e são não lutarmos contra todas as formas de preconceito, segregação e subjugação.

Aqui nós conhecemos o Condado de Garner, um lugar onde as mulheres são subjugadas e tratadas como seres inferiores. Sua utilidade? Casamento e procriação. Caso não haja o nascimento de um filho homem, elas são trocadas como um simples objeto com defeito. Como se não bastasse o fato de terem que se sujeitar aos desejos masculinos, elas ainda são consideradas perigosas. Meninas inocentes, são vistas como "feiticeiras" apenas por possuírem algo natural e inofensivo: feminilidade.

Assim que começam a desabrochar, as meninas são banidas. Ao invés de não desejarem meninas, de não as enxergarem como simples objetos sexuais e reprodutores, os homens do Condado de Garner as mandam embora para que, quando retornem, elas sejam apenas sombras daquilo que foram e não ofereçam o perigo da tentação. Para que elas voltem mutiladas. Traumatizadas. O quão doentio é isso? Apesar de não parecer, no meu resumo eu não contei absolutamente nada da história. Percebam que eu esmiucei a sinopse e nada mais. The Grace Year é um livro complicado de ser resenhado porque creio que muitas coisas são absorvidas de uma maneira muito pessoal, sabe? Há muitos outros pontos que eu gostaria de abordar, mas para isso eu teria que entrar em méritos muito específicos, o que comprometeria a leitura de vocês.

Tierney é uma personagem que possui uma ótima ascensão ao longo da narrativa. Ela tem um início tímido, sendo apenas a menina que queria sempre passar despercebida, até que vê todos os seus planos irem por água abaixo. Seu crescimento é gradativo, ela evolui a medida que compreende os pormenores que envolvem o ano da graça. E quando finalmente atinge seu máximo potencial, descobrimos que ela é apenas a faísca de uma revolução que não tardará.

Quando as meninas chegam ao acampamento, a história dá uma guinada e faz a gente desconfiar das nossas deduções. Pois coisas estranhas começam a acontecer e fica aquela dúvida no ar: será que é uma histeria coletiva ou será que realmente, por algum motivo, está havendo alguma manifestação mística entre elas?

Há alguns personagens secundários interessantes como Michael Welk, melhor amigo de Tierney que, por ter lutado com tanto afinco para se tornar uma candidata a esposa ruim, acabou afastando possíveis amizades femininas. Kiersten Jenkins também merece destaque, já que ela é uma das que acreditam veementemente no objetivo do Ano da Graça e não possui um caráter muito admirável. Outra menina que possui uma função interessante dentro da história é Gertrude Fenton, que é rejeitada por ser diferente e acaba criando um vínculo bonito com Tierney ao longo da história. E por último temos Ryker, que é uma pessoa muito importante na jornada de Tierney, mas não posso dizer o porquê. 🙊

The Grace Year será lançado no início de outubro e eu recebi a ARC através da NetGalley. O livro não possui capítulos, o que deixa a leitura um pouco mais lenta. Como as meninas passam um ano fora, a história é dividida em estações - outono, inverno, primavera, verão - e ainda há um capítulo mostrando o retorno delas ao Condado. A história é narrada por Tierney e em alguns momentos não há muitos diálogos, mas eu não me incomodei com este detalhe. Eu só não favoritei o livro porque algumas coisinhas mereciam um aprofundamento maior, outras poderiam ter sido melhor explicadas, mas essas pequenas ressalvas de forma nenhuma desmerecem o todo, que é ótimo.