Holy cow, what a fantastic book! Minus the end being a bit disappointing. I’ll get to that later. But this book is up there as one of my favorite books of the year. It had everything I was looking for in a dystopian novel. It reminded me of why dystopia will always be a favorite genre of mine.

Tierney was an excellent main character. She reminded me of Katniss but I think I like Tierney more. Nothing against my girl, Katniss, but there was just something about Tierney. She was so unlikable but in a good way. I found myself rooting for her, even in the times where she annoyed me. Luckily those were far and few inbetween. Everything Tierney did was calculated and cunning. She was selfish but entirely giving at the same time, often risking her life for others.

The concept of the world upset me but it was like a good upset. If that makes any form of sense. Honestly, I was just terrified the whole time. Terrified for Tierney and terrified for all the women in this book. One of the scariest things about this world was how much it could actually become a reality. It reminded me so much of the Handmaid’s Tale, which I think was where a lot of the inspiration for this book came from. As I type out this review, I get a chill thinking about this world and how truly messed up it is. I would love to have a prequel to see just how this world came to be.

My one complaint about this book, which ultimately prevented me from giving it the full 5 (five) stars (but not enough to prevent me from buying this beautiful book) was the ending. I won’t give away any details or spoil it for you guys but dang, that ending sucked. I expected something major to happen, something that would tilt the world on its axis but nope. I was so disappointed. I hope that maybe Kim Liggett will write a second book and perhaps explain what happens after the events of the grace year but I’m not holding my breath. I will just have to sit in my disappointment.

Overall, this book was fantastic. My only problem was the ending but other than that tiny issue, I highly recommend this book. If you enjoyed the Handmaid’s Tale (the book, not the show because I’ve only seen one episode of the show and I wasn’t impressed by it) or 1984 by George Orwell, I highly recommend you check this book out.

ARC provided by the published through NetGalley. I am clearly very late.

I am still crying from this book. That ending killed my tear ducts.

The Grace Year follows Tierney, a teen girl about to enter her 'grace year' a year where all the girls of her age are sent to the woods for a year to rid themselves of their magic; right before leaving, you have the opportunity to be betrothed to any eligible man who chooses you, and you will be wed assuming you make it back alive. This book is a wild ride.

It is hard to talk about what I found so special about this book without spoiling anything, but I really loved the portrayal of feminism and how social change is implemented. I am not going to call out other books, but this book is kind of what I thought I was getting with a book I read previously. The setting of this world made me feel the way I felt when I read Shirley Jackson's The Lottery for the first time; the world didn't seem to call out to a specific place (somewhere with woods) or exact time and holds a warped mirror up to us to comment on women role in society.

I loved the way the world felt so insidious. The atmosphere and pace of this novel really worked for me. I absolutely flew through this book. Most of the book takes place over a full year, as the title would suggest, and I was invested in seeing what was on the next page my whole reading experience.

I will say the romantic dynamic used in this book isn't my favorite. I don't hate the trope, but I think it is both overused and often poorly used. This being said, clearly, it was not a huge detraction for me; I didn't think it was done poorly, and I so deeply loved the other aspects of the book it didn't really sway my opinion.

Circling back to gender dynamics. I especially loved this book's exploration of the ways women keep other women 'in their place.' The book literally has women cannibalizing girls in the hopes that it will help them have sons. That is just one example, and an extreme one, of how the book engages with this. It is so varied throughout the book, both in the ways women act and the way our main character reacts to it. Tierney goes from keeping herself apart from other girls, holding herself in higher regard in many aspects, to implementing many different strategies to integrate with the other girls during the grace year. I also really liked the inclusion of men who were clear allies to the advancement and equality of women, though this book's focus is clearly the women.

I will not spoil the ending, but it is such a poignant ending that encourages your imagination to run wild. I also hope it encourages the author to write a sequel. I am also not sure if I actually want that or if I just think I do because I loved this reading experience.

Last note, I am normally very squeamish and a giant baby. This book is full of blood, gore, and literal torture. I was only grossed out one time, but if those things are huge no's for you, I felt a heads up was deserved.

I recommend this book to people who loved The Hunger Games, to anyone looking for books that examine the cruelty of patriarchy in a fictional setting, and to people who like weird, disturbing stuff in their speculative fiction.

This book was brutal. Gory and gruesome. This was hard to read at times. Reminded me of the Salem witch trials. Girls pinned against each other in a fight to the death.

Such an original premise and executed well. I was thinking about this book a long time after I finished it.

This is an absolutely breathtaking book.
It could be said it was a book in the theme of The Handmaid's Tale but this book is original in its own right.
Girls are sent away for their Grace Year to rid them of their 'magic' before they come back to take up their roles of wives or labourers. Little is known about what happens in the Grace Year but the girls return afterwards haunted and a shadow of their former selves.
This book grips like a thriller and a horror story.
It is well written and the characters are so vivid that you live the story with them.
You could also say this book has mirrors of 'The Lord of the Flies' in it and this is definitely a story that revolves around the characters and what they are prepared to do.
Highly recommended and haunts you after you have finished reading it.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read in return for a review.

The Grace Year has an interesting high concept, tight pacing, and engaging writing, and I can see why it was so commercially successful even though I wasn't quite the right audience for it. To be fair, not for the reasons you might think--like for one, if a book is going to have cannibalism, I want it to really deal with the cannibalism instead of just eliding the fact that the hero hunts and butchers humans for food (even if he may not have eaten anyone personally, sort of the equivalent of the historical romance hero who's the only soldier in his company that takes regular baths)--but while I do like dark feminist dystopias in general, ultimately this one just wasn't for me.

I found this to be relatively mediocre, to be honest. I just wasn't into it. I thought it had a really strong, interesting concept, but the execution wasn't as strong as the concept, and the story was somewhat forgettable.

DNF at 42%. I wasn't enjoying this at all. I'm a huge fan of dystopias, but I didn't like any of the characters and found the way they treated each other not to feel realistic or believable. To an extent, maybe, but eh.

This was definitely an anticlimactic book that wasn’t for me. I normally like dystopian books but I think this one was overhyped for what it was. I was surprised with the ending, which was good, but otherwise didn’t really find this one as compelling as I expected.

There was so many emotions while reading this book. I love it and truly wish I read it in 2019 because it would have been in my top 3! The ending broke my heart and then gradually gave me hope for women someday. Thank you Kim for this book.

Weird dystopian YA feminist novel which really wasn’t my cup of tea at the time. Thanks for the free review copy Netgalley

This book was a hard read, not because it was bad but because the treatment of the women felt so so so reflective of where it feels like society is heading these days. Definitely make sure you're in the right headspace, because the content may be triggering (no on page sexual assault, but it always seems nearby).

The Grace Year has everything I love about dystopia, without feeling too cliche. The MC is badass and strong willed, the type of person you can't help but root for even when she makes questionable choices.

Highly recommend for fans of the Hunger Games and folks who are intrigued by the concept of Handmaid's Tale but maybe couldn't handle actually consuming it (that's me. Cannot handle that book/show.)

This book has one of my favourite narrators - partly because of how well the book is written but also because of how unexpected it was. The Grace Year delivers on being a strange, creepy and atmospheric read that has fantastic characters and world building.. I loved the pace of the story and as my first Kim Liggett read, I really appreciate the time the author takes to really immerse you in this world. Definitely recommend especially if you are looking for a book that is a little darker.

The Grace Year creates a creepy world that feels both faraway from our own and frightfully near. It's a blend of Lord of the Flies meets The Crucible meets The Handmaid's Tale with a strong, flawed protagonist who is coming to terms with her fate within a small superstitious community and the limitations of being born as a woman. It's thrilling, suspenseful, and psychological as you try to process what is really going on; a book that you will not be able to put down.

One of my favorite books published this year. I read it in a single night and have recommended it to so many people since that time.

The Grace Year is Handmaid's Tale meets Hunger Games. In a town where the women are believed to have magic, girls are sent to purge their magic during the Grace Year. For a full year, these girls must band together to survive more than the elements. They must survive each other. Thrilling, thought-provoking, infuriating, and incredibly woven, The Grace Year is a must read for teens.

This had been on my TBR list for a while and I wish I would have picked it up sooner. I devoured it! It doesn't have traditional chapters like most novels, and normally this drives me crazy - but it worked for this book. These girls are sent away to lose their "magic" before marriage, so they cannot cast spells or bewitch anyone upon their return. If they leave the camp though, they will be killed by poachers who sell their body parts back to the town as they have powers because of their magic.

Not everything is as it seems and we learn about the girls' magic over the course of the story. It is really one girl's journey to understanding, finding love, forgiveness, and acceptance over the course of the grace year. It has a bittersweet ending. I highly recommend this one!

Good Gracious Kim Liggett THE GRACE YEAR! (#shockandawe)
Moreover, months after reading this, I’m still reeling from it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday books for providing me a copy of this novel to read.
This book is not what I expected at all. (In a good way) Even now, I want to reread it again and again.
This book is stand alone and it has excellent ‘grip’ from beginning to end.
As always, this will be a spoiler free reivew! Let’s get to it~~


“A person is made up of all the little choices they make in life. The choices no one ever sees.”
― Kim Liggett, The Grace Year

First, there is no reason why my review should have taken this long. I’m not sure why I held off on writing it. I rated the book 5 stars immediately but trying to put into worlds all the nuances and points of the book I loved, seemed overwhelming to do.
It’s still overwhelming.


The plot, when reading the summary, felt like a ‘hunger games’ scenario. When reading the book, it was not that straight forward. Women are betrothed before they are sent to the woods to ‘purge’ their magic. Their ‘Grace Year’, if you want to call it that….That is honestly just the tip of the iceberg of this plot and its roots are vast.


The characters grow so much. All of them grow. Unwillingly or willingly, but frightfully and roughly they learn and grow. Tierney leads this movement. She’s the catalyst and the car that drives it. She is amazing and I adored her. The characters, all of them were unique and contributed to details, the intricacy of the tale. As a result, The Grace Year hits hard and with feeling.


I’m being vague but I truly think this a book you experience. In short, I would recommend it if you enjoy psychological books. Books that make you think. A novel that makes you question.
My hat is off for The Grace Year and the writing was incredible.


Happy Reading~
Ash

This book definitely had some Handmaids Tale dystopian vibes. I have been wanting to read this book for forever and in really enjoyed it. It was weird at first but then everything became clear and I understood why everything was happening the way that it was. This book was filled with suspense, mystery, and a coming of age story like no other. There were some hard parts to read but Liggett didn't hold back how utterly raw this story is. I loved it.

The Grace Year is a book that will make you angry in the best possible way. It makes you want to fight and change the world. It is wonderfully written and definitely keeps you on your toes. It's not for the faint of heart, so go in knowing there are some rough scenes. But ultimately, I think this is such an important book and one that all teens should read.