Holy. Freaking. Crap.

I was pulled in by the cover alone when I first came across this, and then the blurb sold me many times over. And though it's listed as being YA due to the age of the main character and the other girls with her during the grace year, it's absolutely for adults as well, maybe even more so. It's definitely right up there with "The Handmaid's Tale" in the fact that women are second-class citizens, only good for producing offspring (specifically boys) and submitting to the whims of their husbands, nothing else.

But this story is so much more than that. It's a tale of feminine rage, both toward one another because of how society treats us and demands we act and toward that same society when we realize we are better together, that we are not *less than*, and that they *should* be afraid of our "magic" because though we may be small, we are mighty.

If you have a bone to pick with the patriarchy, I absolutely recommend this book.

4.5 stars

**I received a review copy from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and comments contained within are my own.**

An edge of your seat dystopian thriller that had me turning the pages. I had no idea what I was in for and put this book off for a while, I'm so glad I finally dove in. Definitely will be recommending to those looking for a unique dystopian take.

A beautifully written but starkly bleak book. The setting, tone and story were tremendous however the subject matter were so bleak to this reader that I was left too disheartened to read it. This should not discourage other readers as it was compelling and beautiful but written in a starkly barren manner like a like a beautiful portrait, painted in shades of india ink. Readers should be wary of the subject matter and enter with caution but those willing will find something thrilling.

The Grace Year was unsettling, dark, and powerful. I loved how it took the concept of women being exiled during their “grace year” and turned it into a haunting allegory about control, freedom, and survival. The worldbuilding was sharp and thought-provoking, and Tierney made a compelling heroine—resilient, thoughtful, and determined to push back against a broken system. Romance exists but is not the driving force, which worked well for me. Instead, it’s about strength, identity, and the cost of rebellion. The story stayed with me long after finishing. A chilling, feminist dystopian tale perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale.

So, so good! Couldn't put this down! An interesting twist of other books with similar themes, kept me guessing to the end.

In the same vein of The Handmaids Tale, The Grace Year hits just right. It's a hard one to describe without giving anything away but if you are a feminist, this may be a book for you.

I really wanted to love 'The Grace Year,' but it fell short for me. The premise—a dystopian world where young women are sent away to rid themselves of their "magic"—was intriguing, but the execution felt uneven. The world-building left too many unanswered questions, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the story.

While Tierney, the protagonist, had moments of strength, her character often felt inconsistent. The pacing was also an issue; the first half dragged, while the ending seemed rushed and too neatly resolved. I also struggled with some of the darker themes, which felt gratuitous at times rather than serving the narrative.

There were glimpses of compelling ideas, but they didn’t come together in a satisfying way for me. Fans of 'The Handmaid’s Tale' or 'Lord of the Flies 'might still enjoy it, but this one just wasn’t for me.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett is book that will stay with me for a long time. It was haunting, and though provoking. The Grace Year follows Tierney a young teen sent for her own Grace Year and her year turns into a fight for survival with threats around her and also nature. I loved Tierney's character. Shes smart but can be naive and also a strong character and it was nice to see her evolve throughout this book. I really enjoyed the tensed world building in this book. The Grace Year is about claiming your strength and human resilience. This book was thought provoking and thrilling and would recommend to my friends.

This one just wasn't for me - and it's definitely a case of "it's not you! it's me!" I love thrillers, but I'm not big on dystopian, ultimately this one was a struggle for me. I think if you enjoy dystopian novels this will be a great read!

Interesting story filled with action. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This is the first time I have read a book by this author, but I'm looking forward to reading more in the future.

Holy crap. This book is POWERFUL. It's perfectly described as The Handmaid's Tale meets Lord of the Flies.

It's about the lies that keep us pliant and docile - about facing the harsh truths full on in order to break free of them.

This is typically book I wouldn't enjoy reading: it's bleak and dark but there's so much hope infused throughout. The writing is crisp and vivid; the words in this book will stick with me for a long, long time.

A must read of the year. A feminist triumph.

The plot of lord of the flies but make it girls in a dystopia society is already great premise that doesn't require much to make it successful and yet....this book fell flat. The author had the chance to really do something amazing with this story. There were so many avenues to explore when it comes to teenage girls approaching adulthood in a society where they are nothing but property to the men in their lives and then finally getting the chance to experience a type of freedom. Female relationships and emotions are so complex and it could have been the great focus on how those relationships are what we can use to survive in a world made for men and yet....the storyline went the stereotypical route with a love interest that really didn't matter and that you never feel invested in the relationship building and now you have a character who only ever wanted to be free and be her own person focusing on leaving everything behind to be a wife to this guy. It was disappointing.

Unfortunately, I could not connect with this book at all and DNF'd pretty early on in reading it. This might have been the case of reading at the wrong time or it may just be me, because I know many readers who enjoyed this book. However, the unsettling nature of the book made me vacillate between wanting to push through and stop and I ultimately decided to. However, I revisited some early reviews from readers and since I loved Wilder Girls and this has been compared to it, I may have to continue eventually.

This book was one heck of a ride from start to finish. It’s basically a cross between The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale with a big splash of Lord of the Flies. In this dystopian society, girls are sent away at the age of 16 to live together in the woods for a year with only minimal contact from the main society. Many of the girls don’t return and even those who do are not necessarily guaranteed the “prize” of marriage.

Tierney is a formidable protagonist. She stands up to the mean girl of the group and she tries to encourage the girls to work together so that they all have a better chance of surviving their horrific ordeal.

I could have done without the love triangle, but the genre is contractually obligated to include one. To the book’s credit, Tierney doesn’t spend much time mooning over the two gentlemen because she’s much too busy trying to survive to mull her prospects.

I would absolutely recommend The Grace Year. This was a deeply moving book that really resonated with the current political climate. It was very easy to get invested in the outcome of the story and I found the book hard to put down.



I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.

Just gripping enough to keep me committed to the end. However, from my perspective, the ultimate reliance on male saviourship just didn't align with the intended "feminist" themes. If you're a young reader looking for a somewhat less dark version of "The Handmaid's Tale," then this one's for you. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and to author Kim Liggett for having the courage to put share your creativity with the world.

I read this awhile ago but never reviewed. I did enjoy it, but it is more of a three star rating for me. The pace was a bit slow going into the story. While I usually like stories that are dystopian in nature and I see similars to the Handmaid's tale, there was just something I couldn't quite connect to. I feel like I didn't connect to the characters - they felt more unlikeable. Topics like these are hard to read and maybe a book like this takes time to process. But I think the author should keep writing books that do many people think and can be hard to read.

The Handmaid's Tale (dystopian speculative fiction addressing female repression and the male possessive thirst for power) meets Lord of the Flies (survival of the fittest but what is really going?) to form a page-turner.

I wasn't sure how to feel about this after finishing it. I liked it, but the ending was a little strange. I think I will read again, though! The "we're in love because we actually love each other, not because he's the only one who's been nice to me" was a little....bad.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett captivated me from start to finish, earning a solid 5-star rating. Set in a dystopian world where young girls are banished to endure the ominous 'Grace Year,' Liggett weaves a gripping tale of survival, sisterhood, and rebellion. The protagonist's journey through this treacherous landscape is both haunting and empowering, as she navigates the complexities of societal expectations and the brutal realities of her environment. Liggett's writing is atmospheric and evocative, drawing readers into a world teeming with danger and intrigue. I found myself completely immersed in the story, unable to put it down until the final page. With its richly drawn characters and thought-provoking themes, **The Grace Year** is a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a compelling and unforgettable read.

I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.