Cover Image: The Grace Year

The Grace Year

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Member Reviews

I felt everything the main character was feeling because the book was so well written. The characters all came alive- I could see the camp, the well, the cots, the trees, it was all so vivid and I cannot WAIT to see the movie. What a true physical and emotional journey.

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why did I wait so long to review this book! I loved it! It was utterly gripping and suspenseful! The author had a way to pull you in.

Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men, drive women mad with jealousy so on the even of their 16th year they are hauled off with the other 16 years olds to harness and release their powers so they can be ready to marry the town men after a pre-arranged ceremony.

With a bit of a girls version of Lord of the Flies, the story quickly turns dark and mysterious. Not to mention the WOW ending!!!

This is a for sure read! and I was first recommended this author from reading her book "blood and salt" another good one!

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Women have power over men, and this cannot be allowed. In Garner County the girls are sent away for a year on their 16th birthday in order to release this powerful aphrodisiac into the wild and not on the poor men. While they are out there, they are on their own with only each other. Not everyone makes it home. The ones that do, don't always come back whole.

This book is dark. It is haunting and powerful. It calls out how dangerous fear and misunderstanding is. Shows how lack of communication and support and division cause irreversible damage to communities. How sisterhood and friendship and support is needed for all to survive. Supporting one another lifts everyone as a whole.

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OH, but MICHAEL!!!
Loved this book! I wanted things to go a little differently once I was about 25% of the way through (just because that was my personal dream for it to happen a certain way). I realize the author had to end things the way she did and it still came out perfect!

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This book was phenomenal! It had everything you would want in an edge of your seat, fast paced twists and turns roller coaster! I could not put it down.

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I can get through heavier reads if the storyline is well-developed and the writing is unique. This novel lacked both and I couldn’t finish.

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A riveting plot that is dark and twisty. Hard to put down. Womanhood - what draws us together, what tears us apart. Quite the tale of solidarity, jealously, the power of suggestion. Shades of the Handmaid's Tale that will keep you thinking and reading all night long.

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I totally think this was a case of me being in a slump, but I really couldn’t get into the Grace Year. I completely fell in love with the feminist plot undertone and how it really reminded me of a hunger games meets Handmaid’s Tale, but I could not for the life of me stay in the story. The WTF moments that I caught (which were definitely living up to its name) weren’t enough to keep me enticed enough, and so I ultimately decided to just DNF.

Hopefully once I get out of my fantasy/scifi slump I can try this piece again, as I really do think this one is going to be a great read!

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2.5 stars

I have such mixed feelings about this novel.... it definitely is a mix between Handmaid's Tale (which I did NOT like) and kind of the film The Village in some ways.

The novel had some interesting/good messages about how women really need to work together and not allow society (frankly, MEN) to make them turn on each other. It was a good message of how working together we all are stronger as women, very RBG. The story also made really good points about how horrendous women are to each other, even as a female, I say that nothing is more evil than some spiteful, power hungry teenage girl.

I can see a lot of the positives in the novel, I just did not really enjoy it very much and it felt rather long winded to me even though the novel wasn't that long. Granted, it may have felt long to me because I wasn't enjoying it. In the end, it just made me even more horrendously angry with society and men and the power that they use over women. Even to this day.

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THE GRACE YEAR is a horrifying and interesting experience that centers around female empowerment themes. The dystopian setting and atmospheric writing immediately drawn readers into the unique storyline, which these elements evoke many emotions and leave the readers a bit unsettled.

This speculative fiction definitely has an absorbing concept - Kim guides us into a wild ride full of twists. The readers find themselves engaged into a profound repressive scene full of dark secrets. I only wanted more character development yet I found them strong. Some readers would demand further answers while others would feel unsatisfied with the ending.

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the premise of this story was compelling, captivating and just plain unique. Someone described this book as being a combination between The Handmaid’s Tale and Lord of the Flies, and I must admit it’s the perfect comparison. The Grace Year is a compelling work of fiction that left me bereft at times, incredibly sad, while also hopeful. But most of all I was hooked, and just wowed by its unique story.

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Finally an ARC I enjoyed. This was a very interesting book. I liked the commentary and overall plot of this. I haven't read a dystopian for awhile and this book made me want to read more. It reminded me a lot of a YA version of The Handmaid's Tale. There are elements in this story that I think are super important to read about especially young adults. While this wasn't perfect I still would recommend if you like dystopians.

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It took me a bit to get into this book, but I ended up really enjoying it. The premise of these young women having to be isolated to get rid of their ‘magic’ is pretty haunting. It speaks volumes about how girls becoming women are treated while keeping it to it’s own world. This dystopian world sets girls off at the age of 16 to unleash their magic, while being watched and pursed by poachers in the woods. There are some bloody scenes and some terrifying moments that are not what you think. You have shades of Lord of the Flies and the Handmaid’s Tale. The ending left with with a slightly confused feeling. That along with the beginning taking me a bit, I gave it four stars.

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Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.

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Yeah, I loved reading this book. I wasn't sure if it would get me to rage at the inequality and unfairness or not, but it did get really close. Especially when we found out what was happening with the Grace Year. That was pretty infuriating!

This book takes place over the course of a year, Tierney's Grace Year. And because nobody talks about the Grace Year, but the girls have heard something. I loved how Tierney just didn't want to be a part of the system, but her friend pulled her in. That was not fun!

That time on the island though, I just wondered what the heck was going on. There were plenty of mysteries, like the poacher who didn't kill her, to the skeleton that she finds. And it's a rough go of it, I was on the edge of my seat reading it. And that one scene, that was just heartbreaking!

But that ending though? I don't know what to make of it. I really enjoyed Tierney really opening her eyes, and seeing the rebellion some of the women like her mom, are doing. And then she found out who the girl with the birthmark is. But I'm confused by how it ended. Like, did she die in childbirth? I just don't know!

This was such a fantastic read, and I can't wait to read more by Kim Liggett!

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The overarching theme of this book is amazing. I love the women empowerment and feminine forward way the story unfolds. I think it does a fantastic job of discussing a lot of the true issues our society has, especially in regard to "gender roles".

This is a quick easy read. The development is slow as first but once it catches its stride hold on for the ride. I loved the reality of the story. The take on "happily ever after" and what happens when things are not always sunshine and rainbows.

If you're a reader that has to have a conventional HEA, this book is not for you. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good female empowerment story or a book with more realism in the storyline.

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I'm tired of reading "this is a YA The Handmaid's Tale" and be frustrated when the book don't be exactly what the publisher is selling to readers. It's boring book with a boring main character.

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Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The grace year is the year girls have the power to lure grown men from their beds and drive women mad with jealousy. During this year they are banished from Garner County so they can release their magic and return ready for marriage.
The book started a bit slow but wow did it turn out good, The red ribbons, dresses, veils, and ceremonies were a total distraction to what the real issues are. With a nice mix of Handmaid's Tale, and Hunger Games it kept me on the edge of my seat once it revved up.

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I started this today and finished in 4 hours.

What the heck. This book is fabulous and addresses so many things that need to be talked about.

I need to think more about what I want to say.

I’m just shook with emotions of what happened in this book.

The betrayal, forgiveness, and love.

SHOOK.

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Thank you to the publisher for this book!

Devoured this in one day. Well written page turner. A little to clean and neat at the end for me.

I have seen this compared to the hunger games and while the grace year itself is being sent away, I think the comparisons are unfair.

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