Powerful and unapologetically honest in its portrayal of female relationships. This gripping story will stay with readers long after the last page.

This book was great. There were some plot points I feel that we’re predictable but they ended up having more twists and I was pleasantly surprised the whole way. While things happened in the book that made me sad, I understand it had to happened and it really shows how emotionally invested I got. Also I read this book in two days which is not normal for me these days because of my incredibly busy job. I was drawn in and just wanted to know the ending. I would recommend this book to my friends

This one was SO GOOD which is not surprising as i love Kim Liggett! Definitely worth the hype it received at bookexpo!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’m not sure where to start with this book. It’s definitely NOT your traditional pink cover story - it’s an odd mix of Handmaids Tale and Lord of the Flies. The pacing was off - both moving too slow it too quickly. There are times where when a significant amount of time has passed, leaving me wondering what happened. The main character had such potential but left me wanting more. There are parts that made my feminist self want to rage, while other parts cheered. I found the ending unsatisfactory but I’m not sure how I would have wanted it to end.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett is a very thought-provoking novel that presents a terrifying vision of a society in which women do not have a voice, although they outnumber men significantly. Women are objectified and their overriding role is to satisfy the men’s needs. The birth of a son is the determinant of the woman's highest value. The biggest women's sin in this society is "uselessness". The main character Tierney is such a strong and brave young girl which guide us through her horrifying „grace year”. She is the one with the wide eyes open, and she is the one who wants changes. But the way to unification all girls is terribly difficult because even though their life is stripped of dignity, they do not know another life and the price for opposing men is death. This book is really heartbreaking raw and brutal, you will be reading it with increasing anxiety, this story fills you with helpless anger and then restore your hope.

For me, it is 4,5 stars read and I highly recommend it to you.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a complimentary copy of “The Grace Year” by Kim Liggett in exchange for my honest review.

* My full review will appear on my Instagram the week before the publication date.

This review is a really tough one to write. I almost stopped reading this book just a few chapters in because some aspects of the writing were so incredibly over the top, specifically the many, many, many ellipses used. However, I soldiered on because I was so intrigued by the story and I'm so glad that I did. As the book goes on, the writing improves tremendously and this is absolutely a story worth reading. Liggett has done an incredible job of world building here and I think if some of the earlier mistakes are edited out, then this book has a great chance of succeeding. Honestly, Ms. Liggett if you ever read this review, I think you should be mad at your editor! You did the work of putting your story out there and your editor should have helped you clean up those first few chapters where the ellipses start to become almost comical. Here's an example: on one page you have "not all of us will make it home... not in one piece. But they were full of promise... alive. And when they returned, the ones who returned, they were emaciated, weary... broken". This device is used exhaustively early on, but does lighten up as the book goes on. I can't fully recommend reading this the way it is right now, but I will be on the lookout for further releases by this author.

I read this book in a day, it was so impossible to put down; and yet it took me a whole month to digest it, and figure out how to review. This might be one of the most powerful YA books I have ever read and my mind was (and remains) blown by the entire experience.

This book had me shaking. Anger, frustration, injustice. It was horrifying in the same way as the Handmaid's tale was, aggravating in the same way the Crucible was. Yet it was also beautiful, taking this intense oppression and capturing the beauty of small (and big) acts of resistance.

The city (or country?) where this novel takes place has a "The Village" sense to it. Isolated, the divide between people - and women - could not be more pronounced. If you are not married, you are nothing. You work, or you sell your body. There are only so many eligible young men, and they'll pick their future wife and let the rest work out of sight. Subtle hints show that this city might exist isolated in the US we know today, or some dystopian version of it, which intensified the realism.

Every girl is sent to spend their sixteenth year away, isolate, for fear that their "magic" will destroy the community they have fought so hard to build. Girls live their lives with oppresive rules, dare their :"Magic" escape and hurt the community. Men fear them in this year, but want their power as well: any girl who escapes her confinement during her Grace year can be caught and her body parts sold for medical purposes. It's a grotesque and terrifying prospect.

We follow a girl who would be quite content working the fields, who is crash and bold and can't stand the oppresive nature of her village. She loves to tinker, loves science and logic (a girl after my own heart) and doesn't give into the oppressive system. While sometimes this borderlines on a "not like other girls" trope, it made me wonder just how many other girls were conceiling these feelings just to fit in. It was something that TO BEST THE BOYS touched on, but THE GRACE YEAR is more subtle, which I think really works.

The main core of the novel revolves around "The things we do to other girls". How we're raised to tear each other down, to stop us from banding together. Together, we are strong. Together, we're terrifying. The only way to keep the girls meek is to force them to tear each other appart. And THE GRACE YEAR shows this in a violent, beautiful way. We tell ourselves that in a LORD OF THE FLIES situation, girls would prevail, but not if we're raised to see every other girl as competition...

Nothing is expected: twists ruin everything, and not everyone is promised a happily ever after - even if they survive the violence. At first I found the ending anti-climactic, but the subtility of it was pure perfection.

Seriously. If you read one new book this year, try THE GRACE YEAR. It's going to stay with me forever.

I’m always a bit skeptical when something’s described as the next X, whether X is The Hunger Games, Gone Girl, Harry Potter, or in this case, The Handmaid’s Tale. This is truly a mature YA version of The Handmaids Tale meets Hunger Games meets Scarlett Letter, etc. It easily could’ve come across as derivative but it didn’t. There was enough world building that you felt comfortable in the dystopian world that you were in.

There were heavy metaphors about the way women treat each other and the way men perceive them throughout. My one criticism would be that certain moments of revelation lacked as much impact as I would’ve expected because of the lack of reaction from the characters. They were wow moments but I think they could’ve been punched up a bit more.

I couldn’t put this one down. For me, it was better than The Power, Vox and other novels with similar feminist messaging.

This was an amazing story. I loved it. It was so well written that I felt like I was there with them. It was riveting! I am unable to give a review that is worthy... just read it, you won't be disappointed.

I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a wild read. It was very quick paced and a weird mashup of The Handmaid's Tale , Lord of the Flies , Hatchet and the Salem Witch trials.

Since it's not out until September, I will leave my spoilery thoughts below. My non-spoilery thoughts are that it was brutal but realistic. It's got a good central mystery with fairly high stakes. I thought the symbolism was a little heavy handed towards the latter half of the book, but that it was interesting and worked to really shape the world when used right. As far as I can tell, this is a standalone and it's perfect that way. Well, except for that open ended ending....

[Minor and major spoiler deleted]

A definite recommendation for anyone/any teens looking for a fast paced dystopian or something with the brutal vibes of The Hunger Games .

Have you ever started reading a book and then when you find out something big you find yourself putting your hand over your mouth going OMG? I bet you have at least at some point. This was me as things started coming to light. I kept going OMG no way, are you serious? Not a lot of books do that to me and this book did. Grace Year is where a number of girls go out for one year and have to rid themselves of the magic that is within them. The one that will cause men to fall in love or fall into the bed and the women in the town will be jealous. This Grace Year is horrible and our main character Tierney knows this. She has always been someone who doesn't truly follow rules but knows that she has to be under the radar or she will be punished. At 16 years old as a female you go into the wild which has a barrier and somehow unleash the magic you hold within you, while at the same time you have to worry about the poachers who live out there. The ones who skin and bleed dry the ones who find themselves outside of the barrier. Tierney knows something is up and we see how she deals with the backlash of the other girls, learning how to survive thanks to her dad, to possibly finding love and helping the girls from her Grace Year. Things will soon change it just takes time. The setting to me felt like something in the future or something in the past it is really hard to put my mind about which one. Yet, the setting was good. The plot was steady the characters are believable. To the way they acted and handled situations, to how they handled each other. Tierney as a character was amazing. She used her brain to live and pass on knowledge even when it wasn't wanted. She had a caring soul about her. Tierney's town isn't all happy there are things that are hidden deep and will be uncovered by her, yet she can't tell a soul. Even though where this story ended it was finished and I liked that, I could see there being another story. Will Grace Year continue or will it end completely?

This mashup of The Handmaid's Tale, Hunger Games, and Lord of the Flies is brutal and all too relevant.

The Grace Year (Kim Liggett) is set in a society where young girls are thought to hold bewitching magic which is the source for men’s lust and drives the older women to jealousy. At 16, the girls are sent away to fend for themselves and live in isolation from the rest of society in a remote camp in the wilderness for a whole year. This is known as the Grace Year, and is the period in which they must embrace and use up their seductive magic and then return home to become obedient women and know their place in the social hierarchy. The “lucky” ones go on to arranged marriages, whilst the others are assigned work. Escape is not an option, as if you do not return from your Grace Year, even if you were to die and your body is unaccounted for, then your family suffers in return. Does this sound bleak? Throw in the fact that poachers lurk beyond the camp, waiting to capture and kill the girls to sell their body parts on the black market, and it becomes frightening. This year it is Tierney’s turn.
The story follows her fight for survival; survival in both the landscape and survival among her own peers. Some reviews I had read liken The Grace Year as a cross between The Hunger Games and Lord of The Flies mixed with The Handmaid’s Tale, and I can definitely agree with them.

I finished this book a few days ago, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind! It’s raised many questions and thoughts, and I think this book would be a great pick for a book group and there would be lots to discuss. This is because there are many choices Tierney has to make, and the reader may not always agree with all of them. What one reader may have wanted for her, another may disagree.

What made the book unique to some others that I’ve read recently is the use of symbolism and the language of flowers. This is used a lot through the book and a careful reader would be able to pick up on some clever foreshadowing. That is not to say that there weren’t any twists, I thought there were so many twists! Particularly in the last third of the book when I thought I’d figured something out, I hadn’t. I was kept on the edge of my seat by the end. I also found it was a lot more graphic than I was expecting. For a book some would label as YA, it doesn’t hold back on the gore.

I liked Kim’s writing style in The Grace Year and the first person perspective makes it easy to follow and know what Tierney is feeling. The description is done to build a picture in your mind and you can imagine all the settings and place yourself there. The description is not overdone though and the story keeps flowing. Once you are past the introduction and the Grace Year is underway is when the book gets really good. The writing manages to evoke a feeling of tension in the right places. Although there are times when it slows, I didn’t feel like the plot went off course at any point. There are a few time jumps though which some readers may not like and wish for more explanation, but as the story takes place across a year it is necessary to have these gaps.

The book explores a women’s role in society and the patriarchy. There is definitely a feminist feel to the story, and it is about girls and their choices (and the choices made for them) The Grace Year divides the girls when it should bring them together, and that’s what I feel the author was trying to do through Tierney. Does she do what’s right for herself or does she do what’s right for the group? When is ok to lie? At what point do you tell the truth? The ending was very thought-provoking for me although this is hard to discuss whilst remaining spoiler free!

I liked The Grace Year so much because I think it had most things I like in books. It had characters to root for, a surprise love interest, a touch of the unknown and mysterious, and an ending that left me thinking, but not wanting. The particular bits I loved most would give away plot points so I guess you’ll have to read it and discover them for yourself!
I would recommend this to fans of The Hunger Games, but I would also think anyone who enjoys a bit of rebellion and girl power would enjoy it. I would like any feminist to pick it up, as their opinion on Tierney’s choices and how other characters behaved may well differ to mine, but I think that’s the beauty of The Grace Year. It stays with you, makes you think and would start a great discussion.

NetGalley provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. This book will be published in Autumn 2019.

No one speaks of the grace year. It's forbidden. Get ready to stay up all night reading #thegraceyear

Imagine all the girls in your junior high graduating class going out on a years wilderness survival trip. No adults, boys, modern comforts, rules or laws except what the group determines. Now add in superstition, mean girls and killers waiting in the shadows...not everyone will survive....

Tierney questions the superstitious ways of her people. I loved that she's smart and capable (a tomboy in a group of girly girls), standing up to ignorance and the bullies of the group. She's the underdog and cares even when betrayed.

Overall this explores the horror of how people treat each other. It's also about the high cost of change. It's a survival story of spirit as well as body.

This is mature YA.
Out 10/2019
I got an arc for my honest opinion. Thank you #netgalley #stmartinspress and #wednesdaybooks

The Grace Year is a coming of age story in a society that holds women with dystopian reverence. Tierney James, a teenage tomboy is about to face her Grace year with other young women in her town. No one talks about the Grace year, but there are whispers among the people. Sequestered, the women are pitted against each other. And not all the girls will survive the environment, the poachers, and each other.

Kim Leggitt is a master at creating an atmosphere that seeps insidiously into your mind creating an emotional and powerful experience. This novel is unexpected unveiling the dark undertones of female relationship. A microcosm of dark instinctual behaviors highlights the lengths one would go to seek out survival. The narrative is engaging, with a complex main character who courageously endures a world working against her. This novel will remain with you after you close the cover.

The Grace Year may be compared to other dystopian tales, but this novel stands alone.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I got an email from Netgalley in regards to this new YA book and I am so glad I responded. I have never heard of the author but was intrigued by the book summary and reviews on Goodreads. I love a good dystopic YA book and this did not disappoint. I was immediately drawn in to the story and the society created by the author, I was impressed by how thought out it all was- with backstories and rumors and passed down tales of why things are they way they are and shouldn't change. The whole idea of this grace year when 16 year old girls must leave in order to protect others from the magic so strong in them at this time. "Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, 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. " While they are segregated together in an isolated area, the novel takes on a "Lord of the Flies' feel as the girls start to turn on each other as their "magic" appears. I found the whole concept so interesting and captivating. She is a masterful storyteller creating so many levels and relationships between the different societal groups. There is an underlying message of female strength throughout the novel as the main character Tierney begins to question their customs and cultures and reaches out to other women around her. I so hope there is a second book to this novel as I'm not ready for it to be over. So well done. I can see fans of Hunger Games really enjoying this one as well!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Grace Year. I could not put it down. I would have liked to get to know some of the characters better but enjoyed the plot and would love to see more books set in Garner County.

Book: The Grace Year
Author: Kim Liggett
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with the ARC.

I must start out by saying this. Um…Hello, where did you come from? You were not even on my radar until last week. Why aren’t you getting more attention? The pretty pink cover doesn’t even start to describe you.

Now, that we have that out of the way. This book has been getting a lot of hype recently and it is as good as what people say it is. This is a dystopian story set in a very strict community in which the church and the men have complete control. The women are treated like objects and aren’t allowed to do anything. Part of this is that the church has complete control over everything and has told women that they have magic, which is a result of Eve and it will make men do evil things. Oh, women are also not allowed to gather, chose who they want to marry, and are sent into the woods in their sixteenth year to rid themselves of magic, aka the Grace Year. If they leave the place they have been sent during their grace year, poachers (men hired to kill) will hunt them down so their body parts can be sold for medicine. So, that is the tone of the world.

Tierney is our main character. She is smart, sassy, and questions everything. So, yeah, she’s really not that different than many of our young adult leads. This is her grace year and she has her heart set on working in the fields once she comes back. So, before the girls leave on their Grace Year, some of them receive a veil from a boy and that is who they are going to marry. The boys do all of the picking and the girls have no say. Tierney and the rest of her county believe that she will never get a veil because of her behaviour. This doesn’t really go as planned.

Michael is Tierney’s best friend. He has developed a crush on her and wants to save her from the hard life. He accepts her as she is and understands that he won’t be able to change her. To me, this is a great quality in a guy.

Rycker is our other main lead. He is a poacher. However, not everything is as what it seems with him. I really can’t go into details on his character without spoiling the book, but he is a lot more complex than what it seems.

The book opens up a lot of room for discussion. I can honestly see this as going down as a rather conversational book because of the context with the church. People are going to buck and say that it gives the church a bad rep. However, stop and think about it for a second. There are many places in our world where women are treated this way and it’s sad. I know a lot of people say that this book is just for girls, but the boys need to read this too. Girls are going to see that we need to stick together in our society. Boys, you will see that this is not how we treat girls.

It’s kind of funny how a lot of the negative reviews about this book are coming from male readers. They claim it makes them uncomfortable and is full of trigger warnings. Um, you know what? It probably makes you uncomfortable because at some point in your life you have probably treated a woman this way. This applies to everyone: if you want to grow as a person, you need to read and see things that make you uncomfortable.

Okay, I’m done preaching. This book, which I predict will be a bestseller, is currently on my top reads of 2019. The Grace Year will be out on October 8, 2019.

I was very surprised just how engrossed in this book I became quite literally from the first page. After all, this novel is quite horrifying. It is set in a world in which the establishment of men controls and manipulates women by systematic lies of care, and to make it worse, pitting the women against one another from young age, making it impossible for them to rally together and stand up to the abuse.

For a dystopian setting, the weighty circumstances are brought to life in such an accessible way that they feel entirely real, scarily, eerily reminiscent of what is happening in parts of our world, and our own society, today.

This is a story of survival. The narrative is unflinching in its horrifying portrayal of women trying to survive each other. It's upsetting, it's disturbing, it's sobering, but as in every good story, there is someone attempting to break out of the mold, and go against the grain to affect a change, even a small one.

Despite it's horrors, it's a hopeful story. You will be surprised where you will find that hope glimmer. It's a must read.

Beautiful and brutal at the same time.A book that explores what it feels like to be a woman in an oppressed society where expectations are set by men. The MC is thrust into her grace year, the year that determines whether she lives or die. As she and some other girls her age set off to live a year beyond the confines of the world she has known for the last 15 years she realizes that there is more to life than what she has been taught. There will be deaths and some will not make it back in one piece. But one thing is for sure, the grace year will change those who survive for ever.