The downside to early review copies is I want everyone I know to be reading this right now so we can talk about it. I've convinced my closest friends to get their copies but we have to wait until October. Meanwhile I have to contain myself so I don't spoil anything :)

I knew as soon as I started I was going to love this book, I didn't want to put it down but I wanted it not to end. I think everything was beautifully written and paced, I felt like I was part of the story and could picture it all perfectly. And there were subtle parts that just hit the right emotion so well.

On an aside I will be recommending this to my library. This would make an awesome book club pick, not just because it's good but because it has so much to discuss.

This book had it all in terms of themes covered. There was a great sense of survival and adventure, romance, it had the feel of a dystopian novel and yet written with the feel of the something in the past.

This book was intense. If time allowed - I would've consumed it in one sitting.

It was dark, descriptive, gruesome at times, but also beautiful with rays of hope throughout it all.

The writing is breathtakingly beautiful, it is fast paced and gripping and will literally make you never want to put this book down, even when real-life is calling your name and your responsibilities are shouting at you from afar.

If you're up for a gripping tale, one that speaks of hope, friendship and believing in the beauty of the future, that doesn't shy away from gore and doesn't ignore the ugly bits, then this book is 100% for you. If you enjoyed the Hunger Games, you will be sure to enjoy this novel that has a very dystopian feel.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading this book review.

I received a free e-copy of The Grace Year by Kim Liggett from NetGalley for my honest review.

I don't normally read YA books, and I didn't realize that was what this book was until after I was asked to read and review it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it.

This book is a very intense and very raw book that is full of violence. At the same time that it is violent and disturbing it is written so beautifully.

This book is about Tierney and her Grace Year. A Grace Year is an annual ceremony that all sixteen year-old girls go through in order to cleanse themselves of their magic. Magic that affects men and makes them fall in love with them. After a year they come back purified and ready to wed. During this year the are sent off to a campground, where they are forced to live under horrible conditions and have very few resources. They are also told that if they try to leave that poachers will get them, kill them, skin them alive and sell their parts. These girls start out strong and confident but come back broken and ashamed.

This is a very rough read but the writing is a work of art and the symbolism involved is absolutely amazing. You will feel the pain, hurt, anger and disgust in each written word.

Tierney James is dreading her grace year. Being one of the few girls to receive a veil, signifying she had been chosen to be married when – or if – she returned home after they were all purged of their magic, she tried to organize the girls into making the best of their forced isolation by improving the conditions of the distant camp. The other sixteen-year-old girls were enthralled by Kiersten, who managed to convince the girls that her magic was strong, pitting them against Tierney and her efforts. After several horrendous events, Tierney flees the enclosure, managing to survive with the skills taught to her by her father. As the year rolls on, Tierney is changed in ways she had never imagined, though her return to camp is less than triumphant, with death and heartache weighing heavily on her conscience.

The book is broken up by season, as opposed to chapters, and it was a bit of a slog getting through autumn. I appreciate that the scene needed to be set, but I almost abandoned the book part-way through. I’m glad I didn’t, because the other three seasons move quickly and are an enjoyable read. I loved Tierney’s strength and her attempts to improve the situation for all the girls, even though she wasn’t in their inner circle. I found this to be an interesting story with parallels in our world that were difficult for me to overlook.

Man, I don't even know where to start with this magnificent book. The writing is absolutely beautiful, I couldn't stop reading it but I really didn't want it to end. Liggett managed to keep my attention throughout her whole book. Her writting is hauntingly beautiful yet captivating and disturbing. I couldn't imagine living in a world that these woman are forced to live in. Tierney's character was written perfectly, she was fierce as hell, yet witty when needed. If you're a fan of The Handmaid's tale and Lord of the flies then this is the perfect read for you. It reminded me of the Handmaids tale because of the way the women are forced to live and how the men are superior to them. Lord of the flies is simple, everything that happens in their Grace year is very Lord of the flies to me. Put those two things together and you get one hell of a book. Also, the ending was nothing short of spectacular, it was beautiful, tear-worthy even. I don't usually reread books but for this one, I'll be damn sure to make an exception. This is a must read and I do highly recommend it to everyone

Wow. Thats all i can say about this one. I dont want to go into many details because it would be so east to spoil the story. I can say, this is one of those stories that makes you stay up way to late reading without ever even realizing it. Then when you finally put the book down and crawl into bed, your brain wont shut off because its replaying the story over and over. I loved the characters. There was a few "big reveals" that were obvious before hand, but they fit seamlessly into the story. Other times, I had no idea what would happen next.

“But who’s going to do the punishing?” Hannah asks. “At home, the punishers are men, chosen by God.”
“Look around,” Kiersten says as she stares me dead in the eyes. “We are the only Gods here.”
* * *
“We all die, Tierney.” The corner of her mouth twists up. “In the county, everything they take away from us is a tiny death. But not here . . .” She spreads her arms out, taking in a deep breath. “The grace year is ours. This is the one place we can be free. There’s no more tempering our feelings, no more swallowing our pride. Here we can be whatever we want. And if we let it all out,” she says, her eyes welling up, her features softening, “we won’t have to feel those things anymore. We won’t have to feel at all.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press) for sending me an ARC of The Grace Year in exchange for an honest review.

The Grace Year feels like two different books. The first 40% and last 10% largely take place in Garner County, an alternate history version of someplace in either America or Western Europe, with smallpox and Christianity and a real Hunger Games vibe. In the year of their 16th birthday, the girls in the village are selected as future brides (or else, future workers) the night before they are all sent away for a year to burn off their ‘magic.’ This portion of the story immediately calls to mind the world-building, themes, and symbolism of The Handmaid’s Tale, though the rules of this rather bizarre patriarchy get a bit muddled the deeper you get into the book. Still, this half of the book is really good, with lots to say: “The things we do to girls. Whether we put them on pedestals only to tear them down, or use them for parts and holes, we’re all complicit in this.”

The lead character, Tierney James, bears many similarities to Katniss Everdeen: solitary, strong, loyal to family, and clueless about the men who are interested in her. She’d rather work and be free than be in the “padded shackles” of marriage. So of course she’s selected for marriage, which puts a target on her back for the middle 50% of the book when the girls are away. For a short time, this section feels like Lord of the Flies. Girls vie for leadership, choose sides, and lives are quickly in danger. However, Tierney is soon separated from the rest of the group, and when that happens, the plot slows dramatically. This middle 50% of the book is unfortunately dominated by a romantic plot that did not work for me at all and felt completely out of place in this story. The best thing I can say about it is that it added parts to the world-building that I found forced and unnecessary.

There were parts of this book that I really liked. The writing flows, almost stream of consciousness at times. The book is divided into few broad sections, but there are no chapter breaks to let you catch your breath. And the better half of the book grapples with the fact that no matter how brutal the patriarchy, the greatest threat to women is often ... other women. But the other half of the novel, about the “boy in a treehouse with cold hands and a warm heart”? Hopefully you’ll like that part more than I did.

WOW. This book had me turning the pages non stop until the very end. I was so deep into this book, nothing got done around here until I finished.

Stop. Seriously. You want to read this book. It will leave you thinking for days and hit you to your core. Liggett has created something special here and I can't wait to read this again.

"The Grace Year" by Kim Liggett is the story of Tierney, a 16 year old girl living in a dystopian community. In their county at the age of 16 the girls are sent away to have their "grace year." Tierney has had more freedom than the average girl and how she copes with the grace year influences all the girls. I really enjoyed this book, and I think there is definitely the possibility for more books! I would love to have a book that explains how this community came to be, and if there are other communities that are different. And what happens after this book ends?

Thanks so much to Netgalley for giving me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Your eyes are wide open, but you see nothing." 4.5 stars!

This was sooooo good! I couldn't put it down. Garner County is very reminiscent of Salem or some other sort of Puritan village. Women have no rights and are at the mercy of the men in the village except during the Grace Year.

The ending was tied up a little too neatly but I would love to have a sequel/companion book.

I ended up loving this look, but it took me a LONG time to settle in. There's little to no background on why things are the way they are in this world and whether or not it's a byproduct of our current world or some other dimension entirely, not to mention we don't know anything about the world outside of Garner County. Maybe that's not totally necessary for every reader, but I appreciate having more context than we were given here. As a result, I spent the first quarter of the book simply trying to orient myself and trying to figure out what was happening and WHY.

But once I felt like I had my feet underneath me, I got drawn in and couldn't stop reading. Readers aren't going to like these characters - they're super flawed and I felt myself thinking 'OH COME ON DON'T BE DUMB' a lot. But the plotting and the story here is superb. I hope we get more of this story in a series, because I'd definitely like to know what happens in Garner County after the events in THE GRACE YEAR.

Book Description
Survive the year.

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to 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. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

My Thoughts
Depending on where you are in the world, your sixteenth year might be just another birthday or a time of great celebration( Sweet Sixteen). But for Tierney( the main character)and all the other girls from Garner County, this will be no presents, parties, and celebration type year. The men who control and own the women in this society believe that the girls contain magic, which will disappear during their Grace Year when they can then return home to take up their assigned roles as wives, workers, or prostitutes. Do the girls know what this entails? Not really, since no one is allowed to talk about the year of their banishment, but they do know that not all the past girls who left return, and poachers who will kill a girl for her magic essence are a very real threat.
Tierney's greatest fear thus far has been keeping the contempt she feels for the rules off her face and out of her eyes. She knows that she may not make it back, but doesn't realize that the elements, the meager supplies, and the poachers may not be the biggest threat, it might be each other. The girls are unprepared for the harshness of their surroundings and yet it is the jealousy and straight-out meanness towards each other that might ultimately get Tierney killed. The year is brutal and while Tierney does her best to use the skills her father has taught her, her efforts may not be enough to make the Grace Year girls allies.
Without venturing into spoiler territory, I will say that there is quite a bit of suspense and I was quickly flipping pages to find out how The Grace Year would end. The chapters are rather long, divided by seasons and their return home. For the most part, I thought Tierney made good, sound decisions, but the story does veer off course(to me) with the introduction of a love interest. Very little is revealed about how this patriarchal society came to be and whether or not the whole world is run the same or just this one small part. As for the ending, while things on the surface remain the same, there was hope for the future.
I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

This is more than just a dystopian novel. Some have called this the book of the year, with its emphasis on female relationships.

This fell a little flat for me as my hopes were high with the comparison to others books. Good story but just not what I was expecting it to be.

The Grace Year reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale combined with the Hunger Games. The first 3/4 of the book really worked for me and I was invested in Tierney's journey and her relationship with the other "grace year" girls. Unfortunately the love story just did not do it for me. It took away from the female empowerment the beginning of the novel created and fell flat to me. I understand that it was dangerous and rebellious for Tierney to fall in love and choose her own partner, but it did not fit in the rest of the story for me.I would have loved to explore more of the history of the society and continue to focus on the relationships between Kiersten, Tierney and especially Tierney's mom with that final reveal!

3.5 rounded up to 4 here.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review,

I think that the first thing I have to say is that I read this book in a span of 24 hours. One, I simply couldn’t put it down, and two because of the way this book is written, it really feels like it should be a binge read.

Going into this book, I knew it was going to make me mad. It takes place in a world where women are completely controlled by the men in their lives and apparently when they reach their 16th year, they are forced out into the wilderness so they can be cured of a magic that they have. Apparently their magic lures men away from their wives and family and honestly just reading that made me so mad. Within the first chapter I was hoping our main character would come into her magic and burn everything to the ground.

This book did not go in the way that I thought it would. It actually took me completely by surprise. We follow the story through Tierneys eyes and I really loved her. She was so rebellious and wanted so much to help the other girls survive. One thing was that everything happened so quickly. This story takes place over the span of a year, but honestly it doesn’t feel like that. I honestly really joined this book and the characters. I just wish there was more. I was left with so many questions about the world and the hows and whys.

A mash up of Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies and Handmaid's Tale. In this case it works. Tierney is getting ready to go on her Grace year in which all sixteen year old girls must do following a veil ceremony. What happens is a dangerous journey and year long stay at a compund where young women will turn against one another or unite. There are poachers outside of the compound and as well as turmoil wthin. A love story and an adventure story with some weighty looks at the female role in society.

This was billed to me as The Handmaid's Tale mixed with Lord of the Flies, which sounded promising. It didn't live up to that pairing for me in the end. The writing has some interesting stylistic choices with ellipses abounding and over-the-top language, and I rolled my eyes more than once. I tried to give this some slack because our heroine is 16, so it's good that she feels 16 in a very protected and claustrophobic society, but ultimately, I just couldn't get beyond the character flipping from her.

<b>This just in: a good concept alone does not make a good book. Execution matters, and in this regard, <i>The Grace Year</i> fell flat.</b> When I first heard about this book, pitched as <i>Handmaid's Tale</i> meets <i>Lord of the Flies</i>, I was pretty damn excited. And when I got approved for it on NetGalley, I was absolutely thrilled. The start of the book had me enthralled. And then...it all fell apart.

The premise of this book is pretty simple. In some messed-up society, the patriarchy is oppressive. Wives are chosen during a formal ceremony in which they have no say, all punishments are physical and public, and the body parts of dead girls are sold secretly for their alleged magical/medicinal properties. Women are told that they have dangerous magic that they develop in their teens, and that they need to get rid of that magic before they can marry their husbands. Thus, every year, after some of them are chosen by their future husbands, all the sixteen-year-old girls are taken to a remote island camp where they are left to their own devices for a full year, known as their Grace Year, allegedly to burn through all their "magic" so they can return "purified." When Tierney leaves with her Grace Year's cohort, she realizes what savagery the island brings out in the girls, and she begins to seriously question everything about her society's priorities and beliefs.

At first glance, that's such a good concept, right? The first quarter of this book fell right into that storyline, and it was stellar. There were deaths. There was blood and backstabbing. There were high stakes and divisions quickly drawn between cliques of girls. It was gritty and beautiful in its brutality.

And at the start, I loved the protagonist. Tierney is a rebellious girl with exactly zero desire to get married. While other 30-ish girls in her year vie for the hands of just twelve eligible bachelors, she spends her time with her best friend Michael--who she knows will be engaged to the beautiful and popular Kiersten because of how powerful his family is--running about, climbing trees, and generally refusing to be a nice young lady. When she and the girls arrive on the island for their Grace Year, as the others devolve into chaos and drama, she throws her survival skills into action, building rain barrels and calculating ways to ration food. She reminded me a bit of Katniss from <i>The Hunger Games</i>, only instead of trying to feed her family, she is trying to maintain a sense of independence and self in a community that wants her to become a submissive nobody. <b>She was the sort of kickass girl I wanted to root for</b>, whip-smart and acting from logic, not emotions. A bit of an outsider, sometimes a loner, but not without her charm, and certainly full of kindness and sympathy when needed.

But, after a little time on the island, things change. Without spoiling too much, suffice to say a new character shows up, and with the arrival of this character, the plot swiftly falls apart. The ordinarily fierce Tierney suddenly ends up pulling a significant insta-love move on someone she thoroughly hated until that person's motives proved kind. <b>I can't stand insta-love as it is, but it is a thousand times worse when it comes from a character who always seemed so strong and reasonable</b>, and when that character has another, far more compatible love interest as well. And as a whole, the story becomes less about female empowerment and more about choosing your breed of domesticity, if that makes sense. It rubbed me the wrong way.

I will say, the book does a nice job of resolving the sort-of love triangle, without feeling too much like a cop-out. YA novels so frequently have unhealthy or disappointing depictions of love, but <b>by the end, <i>The Grace Year</i> does manage to take a more nuanced feminist stance on all forms of love that is good for all parties involved.</b>

One of my biggest annoyances was that, <b>although the society depicted was fascinating, it didn't feel fully realized.</b> There was never really an explanation given for how things got to be the way they were. Because the town was very low-tech--no cars or TVs or even electricity that I can recall--it was hard to tell whether this was meant to be a dystopia, an isolated present-day village, something in the past, or something in a different world altogether. There is only one brief part that discusses the world beyond their society, and it is in minimal detail, so you can't even tell what relationship they have with the outside world. Did they retreat from society? Do others respect them? Avoid them? Do the same thing as them? There was so much potential to build this world up, flesh it out, but instead the story let itself exist in a vacuum, which somewhat deadened the punch it could have packed.

A brief formatting note: for those of you who like your reading to be broken nicely into chapters, this one will be challenging. The book is divided into just five parts, each one shorter than the one before: one for each season of the Grace Year, and one for what happens when the girls return home at the year's conclusion. While there are some spaces for whenever the story shifts in time or topic, <b>there are not formal chapter designations beyond the aforementioned five</b>. I guess it makes this a good binge read? But it also makes it hard to find a good stopping point when needed.

Speaking of those seasons, I have to say, the pacing in the book was weird. There were parts that felt way too long (including a lot with that aforementioned character who derails the plot), and there were others that I desperately wanted to see more of (like the politics of the girls in the camp, especially near the end of the year). Sometimes it felt very character-driven, and I loved the dynamics between all the girls, especially the clashes between Tierney and Kiersten, and the female friendships with side characters like Gertie. Others, it felt like the author realized the story wasn't going anywhere, so she suddenly threw in a bunch of twists and betrayals and complications. Both pieces were good on their own, but they didn't integrate very well with each other.

Finally, again not wanting to give much away: <b>the ending felt too easy.</b> Suddenly, you get to the last section and everything ties up with a neat little bow. All the mysteries are solved. People start to do some specific good things that you've spent the whole book waiting for them to do. It isn't a happily-ever-after, but after the brutality of the early chapters, the end is a little too simple and a little too...smooth. It wasn't bad. It was just weird.

Final random notes:
- There was a hint of <b>casual LGBTQ+ rep from a side character</b>, which made me happy and definitely helped the book feel a bit more realistic.
- I got a bit annoyed...at times...just how frequently Tierney's thoughts...had ellipses. Sometimes...I...understood why it was done stylistically...but others...it was not as good. And then the rambling would be interspersed with pity, profound statements that I'm sure will be all over every review of this book. Some were pretty good, like this one:
<i>"That's the problem with letting the light in--after it's been taken away from you, it feels even darker than it was before."</i>

Others, like this, just made me wince:
<i>"They can call it magic. I can call it madness. But one thing is certain. There is no grace here."</i>

Basically, this whole novel is the literary equivalent of someone taking a great cake recipe, then throwing in a bunch of other ingredients, swapping almond flour for the real stuff, throwing raisins in where they don't belong, and not mixing it evenly. I try it because it sounds good, but it isn't as good as I had hoped, and I leave with a bad taste in my mouth. I have no idea where that metaphor came from, but it feels right.

<i>Thank you to St. Martin's for providing me with an eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>