3.5/5 There have been a lot of these dystopian girl power types of books since The Handmaid's Tale TV series has come out. For me, this one is just so-so. The world is never fully developed and a lot of the main characters don't seem to have a lot of motivation for doing the things they do other than just stating that that's the way it's done. All in all an interesting read, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table.

I’m a sucker for young adult dystopian novels and this one was definitely satisfying.

The entire time I was reading it I kept thinking it was a cross between The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale and then I saw that others were calling it a cross between Handmaid’s and Lord of the Flies and that’s even more perfect.

Be warned: this book is violent and jarring. Some of it seems far-fetched, some of it seems as if it’s happening as we speak. It’s all equally horrifying.

I love the message behind this book. I love the idea of women standing up for themselves and discovering their true magic and this book has such a feminist plot. It’s quite wonderful.

However...

I have some major issues with the plot. The author chose to skip big chunks of time and skim the details when I would’ve liked way more detail about the day-to-day during the grace year. I also feel like the love story part was unnecessary. Shrug.

That said, this book made me feel. It made me feel terrified, stressed, worried. It made my heart pound and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. So in my eyes that is a four star book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Wow! This book was outstanding! It was a riveting story that was very well written. The characters were well developed and Tierney was strong and powerful.
All in all, I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy to review!

I’ve read a lot of truly amazing books lately, and The Grace Year by Kim Liggett was one of them. I first heard about this book on Twitter, and after looking it up, saw it was being marketed as The Handmaid’s Tale meets Lord of the Flies. After reading it, I can confirm that this comparison holds up, and you should add The Grace Year to your TBR piles immediately.

I always find that the most difficult reviews to write are for books that I absolutely loved. It’s hard to find words to explain how wonderful they are because all I want to do is scream “THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! IT MADE ME CRY AND KEPT ME UP AT NIGHT AND EVEN THOUGH I FINISHED IT WEEKS AGO I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!! YOU NEED TO READ IT RIGHT NOW!!!” Anyone who’s asked me about The Grace Year has received that type of answer. For the sake of this review though, I will dive a little bit deeper.

The Grace Year takes place in a small, seemingly isolated community that is referred to as Garner County. Men reign supreme here, and women are treated as little more than objects. As young girls, they wear white ribbons in their hair to reflect their purity and innocence. Then, once they turn 16, they enter into what is called their “grace year.”

Before that happens, though, they are forced to get dressed up, are paraded through town, and then presented to eligible men (AKA, those seeking wives). The men get to choose who they want as a wife, and those who do not receive a suitor are destined to a life of hard labor. After this weird (and downright disgusting) ceremony, the girls trade their white ribbons for red ones, and are banished to endure their grace year.

“But Lizz, what the heck is a grace year?”

Basically, all the girls are brought out to an encampment in the middle of nowhere, where they have to survive for 12 whole months. And no, this isn’t like some fun extended summer camp situation. They’re sent there because it’s believed women possess an evil sort of magic, one that they use to control men, and they need to rid themselves of it before they’re married off or join the work force.

The belief in their magic is problematic enough, but it’s coupled with the fact that while they’re staying in the encampment, they’re also being hunted by poachers. Yes, poachers, the same way humans hunt animals. Why? Because it’s believed their magic lives in their skin, and if consumed, can give the user prolonged youth, beauty, and a little bit of magic for themselves. So, yes, the girls are being hunted and skinned alive because the society in this book is absolutely nuts.

The story follows one girl in particular, Tierney James, who, from a young age, is skeptical of the grace year, the men who rule over her county, and the society in which she lives in general. She doesn’t want to be married off, she doesn’t believe she possesses any form of magic, and she certainly doesn’t want to follow any of the societal norms being shoved down her throat.

Needless to say, Tierney isn’t going to be quiet, and she certainly isn’t going to follow suit either. As I’m sure you can guess, all of these factors come together and result in one badass story.

I don’t want to give too much away, as the release date is still a few months out, but if you’re looking for a book full of feminist themes, strong female characters, a dystopian setting, or something that will make you angry and want to fight for equality, add this title to your TBR.

The Grace Year will be available on October 8, 2019, and can be bought wherever books are sold. Thank you to the publisher for an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley.

Definitely an intense, dark story. The story to me felt like a combination of The Hunger Games, The Handmaid's Tale, and the YA book Conversion by Katherine Howe. The main character, Tiernery, realizes the truth behind the forced isolation of herself and her peers by their community. Once she does she rises against it.

I enjoy books with great character development, This book was definitely more plot based. Otherwise, this was a fantastic book! This would be a great read for those who are interested in the Salem Witch Trials or for those who like dark, twisty plots.

The Grace Year is a pretty intense book. Don’t let the pink cover fool you. But overall the storyline and characters didn’t resonate with me. The story takes place within one year and yet so much happens that I found some parts too unbelievable. I appreciate the unique plot but I wanted more development between the characters. It was all about the main character, Tierney, who I didn’t connect with. I would have liked to learn more about some of the other characters and their relationship with her. I could see this making a good movie or mini series though. There is plenty of action which is entertaining.

The Grace Year reads similar to The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games meets Lord of the Flies. The writing is both horrifying and enchanting. Although set in a dystopian society, its topic is current and relevant. This book will linger with you long after you’ve left its pages.

I really loved this book. It gave me “The Lord of the Flies,” “The Hunger Games” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” vibes for sure. In a dystopian world, at 16 girls are banished together for their “grace year” to expel their magic (a “threat” to men and other women) and come back ready to be married. Some are chosen by men before they go in a veiling ceremony, while those not chosen will be forced into labor. Our main character, Tierney James, wants no part in any of this. She wants to be free, working in the fields with the sun on her face, owned by no one. This story is one of survival, on many different levels . What I found interesting was that while an adversary readers often see is an evil entity (person, government, witch or monster), in this case what they are surviving is each other.

The writing is beautiful, even when your heart is being torn out of your chest. The author pulls no punches, leaving nothing to the imagination. There are some horrific things that happen in this book (The Handmaid’s tale, guys. Seriously), but they never feel out of place. The experiences that are depicted may be hard to read, but only because it evokes emotions and situations that women everywhere face in the real world, every day. I also loved the ending, even though it was the opposite of what I wanted at first. Everything doesn’t get wrapped up in a neat little bow, but it is still so sweet, just the same.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wowza!

I’d kind of drifted away from YA Dystopian because a lot of them seem to be telling the same story just in a different context. So, when I saw this one, I was hesitant. I’m so glad I ignored previous disappointments and took the chance on this book.

This story was more reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale than The Hunger Games (and all of the clones) in that the fear of man losing his power seems to be the true motivating force behind the “imprisonment” and degradation of womankind.

Tierney is a complex heroine and I found myself rooting for her. The world she finds herself in seems hopeless at first, but her grit and determination sees her through, even when she thinks she’s at her end, she finds the strength to continue on—emotionally and physically.

I highly recommend this worthy addition to the Dystopian genre.

I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

The Grace Year is a cross between Lord of The Flies, The Crucible, and The Hunger Games, except much darker.

It is the BEST book I have read in a long time. Liggett has put together a story showing the strength of women, the power of patriarchy, and the breaking of tradition.

The Grace Year blew me away. I had a hard time putting it down and finished it quickly. It is the kind of story I will be thinking of for a long time after the fact, and will definitely be recommending to anyone who will listen. Thank you Netgalley for the advance e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Grace Year follows in the footsteps of strong dystopian novels like The Handmaid's Tale, Vox, and The Hunger Games without being derivative. Kim Liggett manages to contribute a fresh perspective to a crowded field, and this one is sure to be a much discussed book once it hits shelves in October. It plays on powerful themes like a woman's power being tied up in her sexuality and her purity and the silencing of women.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wow just wow. I can't even begin with how much I loved this book. The story was so original and not what I was expecting. The cover has you thinking sweet and flowery when it's filled with thornes and gruesome darkness. The writing was incredibly and I got lost in the story. This is one book you just can't put down. I look forward to reading more from this author I'm sure I will be blown away.

Four somebody hold the door please, because I’m volunteer to get this bloody, scary, mind twisting and shouting, terrifying, not nail biter but whole arm biter, making you addict to the anxiety pills but you’re going to need to taste your boundaries stars!

THE INGREDIENTS TO CREATE THIS GRUESOME, SMART, WTH I’M READING, TAKE THIS AWAY, BUT ONCE YOU START YOU CANNOT DROP OUT BOOK:
Two cups of “ Handmaid’s Tale”
One table spoon of “Hunger Games”
Two pinches of “Beach” and “Annihilation”
And one cup of “ Lord of the flies”

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING THIS HEART THROBBING BOOK
Mixed them with anger, frustration, witchy spells, pure magic, violence. And finally add some survival and combat skills, harshness, vulgarism, mercilessness and as soon as it gets cold, please serve it with feminism, equality, women friendship, liberation ( For the French version it will be served with fraternite, egalite, liberte)!
It can be better pair with thriller, apocalyptic , dark, violent, nightmarish book fans!
Don’t let pink cover fool you! If you expect a soft chic lit about women’s journey, please drop it before it gets glued to your hands! If you’re not ready for this book, as soon as you’re gonna want to finish it and you’re gonna start dreaming but I can assure you are not going to see a little girl in your dreams as like as our heroine did.

My minority report for the characters:
Tierney James: Mashup of Katniss Everdeen , German TV series Dark’s parallel universe Martha( the girl we saw at the last scene), Michonne from `”The Walking Dead”. Tough, survivor, problem solver, smart, pure feminist, idealist, skillful fighter.

Ryker: Avenger’s Clint Barton( Jeremy Renner’s archer character) meets Caprio’s Revenant character, Hugh Glass ( at least Ryker doesn’t raw liver) ! Protector, loyal, real good fighter, healer. He’s mysterious, wounded, man of his word but he’s also romantic guy who is ready to sacrifice himself for his love of his life, Tierney.

Michael: Noble, decent guy is about to start his prestigious job, reminds us of Mr. Darcy. Maybe it’s not fair to talk about him at the third place. Because we don’t much see him on the book ( we see him at the beginning and the ending but he makes life changing moves and changes Tierney’s life completely so I have to mention him.)

WRITING: Smart, fast paced, surprising, gripping.

CHARACTERS: All those girls could give you nightmares! They’re acting like incarnated Betty Davis and Joan Crawford ! They’re pure evil, batshit crazy, violent and ruthless! Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest could be considered as a Disney princess if I have to compare those girls with her!

ENDING: A good one, at least there is no total massacre or elimination. It was bloodless, bullet-less , wound-less ! Gives us hope and soothes our anxiety!

WHY I CUT THE ONE STAR: It was chaotic, fast pacing thriller but as soon as I reach at the middle of the book, romance parts didn’t suit so well but the horrifying and severe parts of the book !

And I’m so pissed off that one of the worst villanelles didn’t get what she deserved!

The love triangle was not necessary for me ! ( It doesn’t count as triangle because two men never meet or cross with each other) This book might have stayed as manifesto of women’s uprising to decide their own destinies!

But still it is a good try, well crafted, capturing story and I enjoyed it!
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC COPY and thanks to NetGalley for sending this amazing book exchange of my honest review!

As so many reviewers have already said, this book has a very Handmaid's Tale/Lord of the Flies/Hunger Games feel. That being said, I was pleased that it didn't feel like a copycat of any of the dystopian books that came before. It is an overt feminist narrative that I think will resonate with a lot of people in the uncertain society we live in.

The biggest sin for a woman in this book is "uselessness" and the greatest accomplishment is having a son. Oh, boy (literally). Girls in their sixteenth year, known as the Grace Year, are sent off to fend for themselves for 365 days with hardly any help and with the backing of a lot of superstition that has been drilled into them since birth. This part was the most interesting to me--how people can be so brainwashed that they overlook logic in favour of spiritualism and myth. There were some dark parts to this story that made me have to remind myself that it was a YA novel.

This wasn't quite a 5 star read for me because I didn't feel that the characters were as fully developed as they could have been. Also, the pacing felt a little off in some parts. Overall this was a fun and thought-provoking read and I can see it being super popular on publication. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and the author for the ARC!

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!

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.