The Grace Year is a thought provoking YA novel with a blend of A Handmaid"s Tale and The Hunger Games with a splash of Lord of the Flies.
In a near/distant future society, 16 year old girls are banished to an isolated camp for one year in order to control or vanquish their "power".
I was drawn into the story very quickly and liked Tierney James right away which isn't always easy with the style of first person narrative that was used. I did find that the book lagged for a short bit in the middle but picked up again. It was not enough to put me off continuing to read the book. One thing that tells me a book is "good" (in my humble opinion) is if I end up feeling emotional at the end of the novel. Well, I cried when I finished reading. It wasn't just the story itself but the parallels to the lives of women and girls today. Mind you, the ending leaves many questions which was done very nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I finished this book long ago, but must have forgotten to leave feedback. This was one of my favorite young adult reads of the last few years. It had everything from excellent character development to a great love story. I have recommended it to coworkers and patrons alike. 5 stars

Books like this one appear to be having a bit of a moment right now (I think of Wilder Girls when I say this). Dystopic but could-also-be-a-little-real in a way that is reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale but written for a younger audience.

In The Grace Year, all women are thought to be born wicked. To redress this, on their 16th year, they are banished from their home in order to ‘release’ their magic into the wild, to purify themselves, in preparation to marry upon their return.

Now while I said this was written for a younger audience, I cannot state enough that this book is dark. Very dark. Any may not be suitable for those of a more sensitive disposition. I myself do not feel like I am sensitive but found myself struggling with some of the aspects in this book.

I did enjoy this book, although like I said, there were some aspects that I struggled with. However, I would go on to recommend it to certain friends and family members.

I really enjoyed this book about a dystopian world where girls are sent into the wilderness to lose their “magic” before becoming wives and mothers. The main character reminded me of the protagonist from The Hunger Games and was strong and capable, and the action moved at a clip. I definitely recommend this one.

I saw this one being hailed as visceral and compelling, so I had high hopes going into it. I'm very pleased to say that THE GRACE YEAR lived up to them - and maybe even exceeded my expectations! Coming-of-age tales about girls are always intriguing to me 'cause I feel there's so much to be done with the subject matter. So much of being a teenage girl is terrifying, and putting that scariness into the hands of a talented writer created a really beautiful marriage here between darkness and purity.

I came across The Grace Year after a friend has read it. I read the description and was immediately intrigued. It has been a long time since I read a dystopian novel but I missed them and The Grace Year seemed to fit the bill. So time passed and I forgot about it but then I came across it again and knew I needed it read it and man was it one messed up book. I mean it was deeply messed up. The fact that females were treated so poorly just blew my mind as did the writing.

The Grace Year is a really crazy look at how women are perceived. I was so disturbed by how these young girls were treated and what they were forced to do to one another. Instead of being able to support other women they were made to turn on one another and that was hard to read. I had such a hard time seeing how violent these girls were made to act based on something they were told needed to happen because a group of man decided it so. It’s really hard to put into words how it made me feel to see these girls so into madness. So hard to explain it will just be easier to tell you to read it and you will then understand what I mean.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Yet another late-night binge read. This one shocked and horrified me in all the best ways. The ending made me need to get up and pace for a while before I could get any sleep at all.

With remnants of a AU like The Handmaid’s Tale - this book takes you to a different world. This thriller is immersive. It leaves you wanting to read more and not able to put the book down. I would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys this type of AU.

I didn’t read too much about this book when I decided to start it. I read it all in one day! It was so interesting and I couldn’t stop until I had finished it. It reminded me a little of Hunger Games and the movie The Village. Definite must read.

This brief review (written ages after it was meant to be written) will not do this book justice. But grace knows, I've tried and tried and can't get my thoughts straight on this one.

All I've come up with is that only halfway through, this book became one of my all-time favourites, and it hit me on a visceral level from begin to end. Never in my life have I read a book that can so perfectly balance sheer brutality with near-aching beauty and tenderness. I know that there will be many people who will be able to look past the spell that this book casts and see what are likely some flaws, but for myself, I'll be eternally grateful that I could remain under that spell and experience what I believe was a changing experience in my reading life.

Thank you, Kim Liggett, and thank you to the publishers for the honour that was receiving this book.

I loved this book! It was an easy read that held my attention every second! I look forward to reading more from this author and hopefully this book wasn’t the end of the story! I rate this book a 4.8!

The Grace Year had been high on the list of books I've been needing to read and I was so happy to receive this on netgalley. The Grace Year was a fantastic read that everyone looking for a young adult thriller.

A powerful magic in the air. They exude it. They tempt with it. They could destroy our town if we let them. We must do something to rid them of this evil; to purify them and make them suitable. All females are thought to be born with this wickedness. The remedy the leaders of this county decide on, to exile them their sixteenth year, to send them far away to release their magic and return pure and ready for marriage.

The trials these young women experience during their exile is nothing short of horrifying. They are forced to protect themselves from the dangers on the outside, but mostly from the terrors that come from within.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett was the most unexpected, surprise-favorite of the year for me. I read it based on a recommendation from a friend; going into it with no expectations. Once I started to grasp the path this book was taking, I was in shock and awe. Shock by how brilliantly crafted the story was, how cleverly it was written, and how expertly it evoked my emotions. Awe at the ability of the writer to take subject matter than infuriated me, but also made me love to read every single page until my eyes were exhausted from the strain.

The mind-blowing writing in this book is uncomparable to anything I have read before. It is beautiful, thought-provoking, haunting, and down right anguishing, all at the same time. It is multi-layered, encompassing mystery, intrigue, thrill, horror, and romance. All of these components blend together to form a story that leaves you thinking of these people, of this place, for weeks to come.

Just when you think the author is wrapping the story up in a bright red bow, the ending comes at you out of nowhere, ripping your heart out, and leaving you wondering what exactly happened. The last pages end with such uncertainty, you literally ponder it for days.

In my opinion, this book will be considered a classic. A book that everyone should read, and that all should use as a looking glass into their own hearts and beliefs. An overwhelming ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star read, and without a doubt, my favorite book of 2019!!

Terrifying. Unlike anything I've ever read. Or in other words.... I really liked it. It was most certainly out of my comfort zone because I don't really care for dystopians anymore, but this one was ok because I got so invested in what they they thought the magic was and what it was that made this happen.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved everything about it and the writing was so good! It reminded me of The Crucible and The Fever, but even better!

Musings:

‘The Grace Year’ is a fantastic novel. Just a chef’s kiss kind of novel. It’s got everything that makes a great novel great. I had such a wonderful time reading.

What I Loved:

Darker then Dark. The girls in this novel are vicious. They are deadly. They are girls that you want to stay very far away from. Kim Ligett swing for dark and hit a home run. It’s scary how mentally these girls get so attached to believing they have magic they must purge that they turn so savage. It’s a wonder anyone survives a grace year. The whole time I kept thinking am I really reading this? Did she just tell that girl what I think she told that girl to do? Is that really what that tree is for? It’s so dark.


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Somehow the Romance manages to be adorable anyway. One light in all the dark is the love story. I loved it! Yet it’s a little bit later in the story so I don’t want to spoil anything about it. Just that it’s swoon worthy.

I didn’t know how hope could live in this world. If your a woman in this novel your life is good for either a. Being a wife b. Working terrible jobs or c. Being sent to the outskirts to be a prostitute. Also, if your husband gets tired of you he can just say that you’ve been harboring magic and then you get hung. The prospects for a woman in this book aren’t great. I was wondering for a while where the hope lied and there is hope in this novel it just took a while to get there.

It’s a nail bitter of a book. The entire time you wonder is this girl going to make it? Is it possible for her to survive the savagery of the Grace Year. It’s madness. There is no other way to describe it the Grace Year is utter madness. Getting through it with a bit of your sanity is a miracle.

I’m still thinking WTH.. I can’t get over this book really. What it says about women. What it reflects about society. How goddamn dark it was. I’m still in awe. What a fantastic book it was.


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All in all:

I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Grace Year. If you love a strong heroine with bite you’ll love this book. If you love a good dark story you’ll love this book. If you want to stare up at your ceiling wondering about life you’ll love this book. What are you doing still reading this? Go pick up this book!

Enthralling from beginning to end, I was so wrapped up in the characters, and their development throughout the story!

While I am getting some *very* strong Wilder Girls vibes from this, I think they stand apart on their own firmly.

The Grace Year gets you from the very beginning. Within the first five or six pages, I knew I wanted more. "Oh this shit is MESSED. UP." I remember thinking to myself. And while the big reveals aren't necessarily graceful (the suspense is all pretty clumsy), you will be reading late into the night to find out what happens next.

My only complaint is that so much happens the whole time. Which is why the big reveals feel so poorly handled. You hurtle through this book at breakneck speed and there is barely time to catch your breath. Before you get over one hill, you're already climbing another.

The resolution though, in the end, is beautiful. I love that Liggett could follow up if she wanted to, but I hope she doesn't. I hope she leaves us with this bittersweet ending. It fits.

3/5 stars

I went into this title with a lot of anticipation after hearing so many peers give it 5 stars! I really loved Liggett's writing style and the overall tone of this book. My main issues were with the plot and the direction it went in. Not divulging any particular issues as to not spoil it for anyone else. It got a 3 because of the writing and the subject matter; I just wanted more rebellion!

I love this book! Such strong female characters. I love the story a d the hopeful ending. I hope to read more of what happened after the women came together in support of future generations. I would also love to read about previous generations. I cant say too much without spoilers, but if you enjoy dystopian fiction, you will love this book! It is wonderful!