A speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power. Optioned by Universal and Elizabeth Banks to be a major motion picture “A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggett’s deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven … heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story that’s equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldn’t stop reading.” – Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author
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 own 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.
With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.
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Holy Smokes! This story will keep your heart pounding from start to finish. Everyone should read this book! I say we should toss out the Lord of the Flies and make this required reading in every high school!
The feminist in me kept grinding my teeth in outrage as I read this fascinating dystopian tale about oppression, superstition, ignorance and fear. The Grace Year may well be what the future holds in store for ALL of us – and not just the female population – if we continue to allow others to think for us, to tell us what is right and wrong or acceptable. Tolerance and compassion were in very short supply in Tierney’s dystopian world where a husband could decide to send his wife to the gallows or have her burned at the stake simply by accusing her of “using her magic.” Even dreaming was forbidden.
This socio-politcal commentary hits too close to home: there are parts of our world where people are still treated in this manner. The horrific bullying scenes that occurred in the encampment are just another example of what happens to certain people who are given too much unchecked power. I was constantly reminded of the Stanford Experiment (see this link: https://www.prisonexp.org/) where a group of psychology students learned firsthand how too much power or privilege can ultimately corrupt you.
I found that parts of this story were brilliantly written, but I also felt that certain parts of the novel needed a bit more “fleshing out.” Don’t get me wrong, I was utterly enthralled by the writing in this novel, but a few sections of the story seemed a bit aimless and repetitive.. For example, Tierney was raised as a tomboy by her indulgent father, and yet she was not able to trap animals for food or build a shelter for herself when she had to flee to the wooded section of the encampment. She was able to build barrels for rainwater, but seemed to have forgotten all of the skills her father taught her. She was such a sitting duck, I kept thinking. Also, Tierney’s feelings for Ryker seemed to blossom in just a few paragraphs. Yes, I get that Ryjker was totally there for her, but the brief span of time during which much of this part of the action occurs made it hard for me to suspend my disbelief and accept that Tierney the Terrible had developed such a passionate love for this dark silent character that was was all dark scary eyes and covered in filthy shroud. All through the novel, Tierney had scorned becoming a wife, – a man’s possession, but now she fully embraced the possibility of it with Ryker. It was Tierney who kept reminding herself: he was the Poacher and she the Prey. (Just sayin’!)
I also couldn’t figure out why Kiersten, who was painted with such an evil brush – even before the trip to the encampment – and who was directly responsible for so much bloodshed and death, did such an about face towards the end. I am all for forgiveness and redemption/rehabilitation, but again I don’t see how Kiersten could so easily change her tune like that. And yes, that scene where Tierney decides to pick up a hunk of wood and refuse to allow the women to be victimized any longer was inspiring – and long overdo. Not sure if the editors interfered here. I myself was ready to get all “Stanford guard” on Kriesten: but I suppose maybe that was the author’s point? We have to pull back from that lynch mob mentality and let sanity prevail. But still!!!!
My heart broke time and again for Tierney’s childhood friend, Michael. Poor devoted guy!!! He was such a loyal, decent character. I was sobbing at the end – more for Michael than for that last visual. Heck, I’m still sniffling and hiccuping into a tissue. Such a brutally beautiful story – if such a thing is possible. You have to read this to understand what I mean.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tierney James has reached 16 years of age, called the grace year in Garner County when young girls must leave for the next year and purge themselves of their magic, which reaches its height and most potent level now. That “magic” is their essence that causes men to be unable to resist them and women to be madly jealous of them. Not all of them are expected to survive and what they’ll face is almost unimaginable.
I struggle with defining when this story is placed and have decided that I’ll just speculate based on my own instincts. It’s a dystopian environment as everything that happens is beyond acceptable in this society. I imagine it’s the culmination of future events based on the common experience girls and women continue to face today. While improving, its ability to continue to get better is precarious. This story, for me, is a cautionary warning to all women to not slide back and to keep moving forward.
I added this book to my shelf solely on the recommendation of one friend who said I must so I didn’t even read the synopsis before starting. It quickly became disturbing and I needed to find a place to anchor me in the story, which took some time. I wanted to find the villains and heroes but that clarity never came because, through Tierney, I figured out that each person had to find that in themselves before they could empower others. Tierney never lost her courage of conviction, though she didn’t always make the correct choices. However, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Things happened that repulsed me but there was an underlying beauty to Tierney’s unwavering belief in the girls who failed her time and again.
I have to applaud the narrator, Emily Shaffer, who performed the story in such a way that she never got in the way of the story. She illuminated the characters the way they were crafted, so vividly I had no issues imagining them. I’m grateful I made the decision to listen to this story because the narration is outstanding.
This was an extremely difficult story with the most powerful messages and themes. I listened to the interview with the author at the end of the book and am so glad I did as she reinforced some of the messages I captured and provided me with some “aha” moments. I haven’t shelved this as young adult as my sense is that it’s an even more important story for adult women, to capture these messages and continue (or begin!) to empower young women as they are introduced to a world that hasn’t taken the best care of or properly nurtured them. This is such an important book in any format.
(Thanks to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
The Grace Year very much evokes The Handmaid’s tale in every sense of the word. Although it’s inspirational and realistic, it’s often hard to imagine this as a reality. But in a dystopian world it would be reality. The characters are well-developed and it has an unpredictable ending. This book is hard to put down and as an easy-to-read book, it moves quickly and you are disappointed when it’s tale is told.
LORD OF THE FLIES meets THE HUNGER GAMES! This book is shocking, terrifying, horrific, and totally un-put-down-able. Truly, it’s MEAN GIRLS on a totally psychotic level. MUST. READ!
It’s been one week since I finished The Grace Year by Kim Liggett as I sit down to start this review. Y’all I still don’t know what to say! If you’d asked me if I liked the book while I was reading it, the answer would be no. But then something happened. The closer I got to the end, the more enthralled and horrified I was, the more I became invested in the characters, their plight, and what would eventually happen to them. If you ask me now if I liked the book, my answer would still be no because I didn’t just like it, I loved it!
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett is the most unique story I’ve ever read. I have nothing to compare it to. The blurb refers to The Handmaid’s Tale as do other reviewers. I haven’t read nor watched the series so I can’t make that comparison. What I can say is that this book stands on its own. It isn’t quite fantasy, more a historical dystopian and thriller. Basically take a dash of The Hunger Games and mix it with M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and you get a taste of what The Grace Year is about.
Every year when the girls of Garner County reach the age of sixteen, they are banished from the community and confined in a small area of wilderness. Why? They are told that when they reach this age they hold magic. Magic to make men lust and women jealous, dangerous and tempting. They are to spend the year releasing their magic into the wild and return to the county purified and ready to take their place as wives in the county. Not all return from their grace year, some die, some go mad. Are you creeped out yet? Because I was!
The book follows one of the grace year girls, Tierney James. Unlike the other girls in the community, Tierney has a free spirit and dreams of a better life for herself. She doesn’t want to receive a veil, which will mark her as a wife when she returns. She wants the freedom to work in the fields and still look at the stars every night. I like Tierney. Her wit and her courage take her far in this story.
But it isn’t just Tierney that makes the book. It’s the other grace year girls. Each brings a unique look at the world. No one knows what to expect entering the grace year. It’s forbidden to talk about, but once they are there they share what little they do know from older siblings and parents. Poachers wait outside the walls, ready to take the girls and bleed them for the magic they possess. It’s horrific and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
Overall I really loved The Grace Year. I was shocked and horrified, tears were shed, and I did laugh at times. If you enjoy an edge of your seat read, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Grace Year. It will not disappoint!
**I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of this review.**
Thank you St. Martins and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Grace Year
By: Kim Liggett
*REVIEW* .5
I’m always interested to see whether books with a lot of hype actually fulfill their potential. Fortunately, The Grace Year exceeded my expectations. I won’t rehash the plot because I know you’ve heard it by now. The magic of 16 year old girls is terrifying in this book, and honestly, reality seems to mirror this attitude in some ways. Young lovely girls have power far beyond their understanding. Women do, too, but are aware of it. The treatment of women as property, baby makers, witches, etc. is the outward manifestation of the insecurities of men. If the choice was left to women, would they send these girls to the woods and, possibly, death? I doubt it. This book is a great example of female suffering and mistreatment because of ignorance and ego. It’s maddening to me when I read a book like this. How can society let this happen? I know change takes time, but it has to start somewhere. I love the heroine because she is brave, defiant and intelligent. These girls must survive the woods and each other. It’s a shame the way they turn on one another instead of collaborating. It’s very much like reality, unfortunately. The Grace Year is an important book, and I hope everyone reads it.
Beautiful, devastating, and deeply moving, THE GRACE YEAR is a testament to the power of finding your voice and speaking your truth. This story of hope and resistance reminds us of what authoritarians and strongmen throughout history have always feared — that a single light in the darkness calls all other lights to shine, that a lone whisper can give rise to a thundering chorus. This haunting, lyrical book is required reading, full stop.
A dark fairy tale of a book that speaks to the time that we live in.
The Grace Year is a book for every woman who has ever screamed at the top of her lungs and still felt like no one heard her. A book for every person who has ever been made to feel small or less than. A book for all of us who have been told to sit down and be silent, to grin and bear. Tierney’s captivating story reminded me that sometimes existing is itself an act of bravery — and this book’s existence is an act of courage that I’m very grateful for. Brutally smart, devastatingly lyrical, and so capital i-Important, I want everyone to read this book!
A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggett’s deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story that’s equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldn’t stop reading.
4-4.5 “this is the real magic” stars
When people describe this as Lord of the Flies meets Hunger Games meets Mean Girls I find it’s a remarkably accurate description. No one speaks about the grace year, the year long period of time when girls are sent away to live at a camp together to “rid themselves of their magic” during their sixteenth year before being married off or sent to their occupation.
The story follows Tierney, a tom-boyish girl, determined to keep her freedom by not being chosen for marriage and instead planning on working in the fields. Things don’t quite go as she plans and the grace year is nothing like what she could have imagined. The story is unforgiving and brutal, raw and insightful, and at it’s core a call for women everywhere to stand together, to rebel against norms. I really enjoyed it, felt like it was original in it’s storytelling (the book is divided in seasons, instead of chapters) and appropriate for the times. I’m still not quite sure what to make of the very end, but it’s definitely got me thinking and not a book a will forget anytime soon.
The Grace Year is THE book to add to your reading list for 2019. If The Handmaids Tale and Hunger Games had a baby, it would be called The Grace Year; YA Dystopia at its finest.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book- the plot was on point, pacing done extremely well and a protagonist to root for. There is enough out there to tell you what this book is about, but I would suggest you just pick up this book and start reading. Get sucked into Garner County, scream at the injustice of it all and go along for the ride.
There were a few things that kept this book from being a 5 star read for me. There are some very definite slow moving parts where I kept thinking to myself “get on with it already”. I would have also liked a little background information on how the “world” and Garner County came to be. What is the history? Why are women treated the way they are? Why must they have a Grace year? A chapter or two would have easily taken care of this.
Finally, I feel like Tierney could have been portrayed to be a stronger female leader. She is certainly set up for it. Who knows, maybe this book will become a series and we will get to see the evolution of Tierney and the women of Garner County.
All in all, I highly recommend this book based on entertainment value alone. This is one that you will want to rip through, so make sure you have a block of time set aside.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book via NetGalley
First off I loved loved loved this book. The Grace Year is not in the genres I normally read or I have I ever read a book like this. Kim Liggett had a way of describing things in the book without using a bunch of descriptions. I could picture everything that was happening as could I “see” the landscape. I hate when I read a book and the author spends so much time describing things that I find myself skipping over some of the story. This was not the case with this book! I could feel what every character was going through and couldn’t stop reading to see what was next. Although I wish there was more time spent with Ryker. 🙂
Imagine being only 16 years old when you are sent away for a “Grace Year” to live with other females of the same age while ridding yourself of your female wiles, or “magic.” Well, that’s exactly what happens to Tierney and her fellow classmates in this YA dystopian novel. The girls are pitted against one another in this ultimate test of survival, but can Tierney somehow inspire them to see that their “magic” would be much stronger if they work together?
“Anything can happen here, and no one will tell the tale.”
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve read a dystopian novel, and this one did not disappoint! It was quite the page turner, and even though it was bleak, sad, harsh, and distressing … it was also sweet, romantic, and hopeful. I loved the meaning of flowers sprinkled throughout the story because it reminded me of one of my favorite books ever, The Language of Flowers (5 stars) by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Lastly, if you love books about GIRL POWER as much as I do, then be sure to read this haunting, compelling, and powerful story!
“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.”
4.5 stars
Location: Garner County
I won an advance copy of this book in an Instagram giveaway from Leah Decesare. All opinions are my own.
From the minute I read the blurb for The Grace Year, I knew that I wanted to read it. It had all the earmarks of a book that I would love. A strong female main character and a storyline that seems to be fantastic. I am glad that I read The Grace Year. It ended up being all that and then some!!
The plotline of The Grace Year sucked me in. It was well written and fast. Yes, quick. This book took place over the girls 16th year, and it flew. Oh, man, it did fly. I loved it!!
I liked Tierney. She was one of the most influential female main characters that I have read to date. I liked that in a society that viewed women as the lesser sex, she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion. I loved that she didn’t want a man to make her happy. But I felt that her behavior in the last half of the book contradicted that. But that is what made me like her character so much!!!
Tierney and Ryker’s storyline was interesting to read. I am not going to get into it because there are some significant spoilers. All I have to say is that there were times where I was heartbroken and then times where I was elated. I know, such a contradiction but once you read the book, you will understand.
The plotline with Hans surprised me. I was not expecting him to do what he did. I put the book down and said, “No way.” Then picked the book back up and continued reading. It explained so much. So much!!!
I do want to comment on the women in the village. I thought one thing when I started reading the book. By the end of the book, my view about them changed. Tierney’s mother was a huge one.
The end of The Grace Year made me cry. All I have to say is that it was bittersweet. Because of the way it ended, I am hoping that there is a book 2.
The Grace Year is a title that I have been impatiently waiting to get my hands on. From the synopsis alone, I just knew this book was going to be special and that it would be thrilling. I mean, it sounded like all of my favorite dystoptian novels were wrapped into one. So, if you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, The Handmaid’s Tale or even Lord of the Flies, you are in for a real treat with The Grace Year.
The Grace Year follows the story of Tierney James. Tierney has always dreamed for a better life than the one she knows. She lives in a society where dreams are forbidden and where women are seen as the weaker sex. When a girl reaches her sixteenth birthday, she enters what is called her grace year, a time that no one dares to talk about. Rumor has it that women are filled with magical power that they must accept and eradicate in order to return home pure and ready for their husbands. But, what they don’t tell you is that you will be pitted against one another, that your friends are not who you thought they were, and that there is more to fear than just poachers in the woods….
As a huge fan of YA Dystopian novels, I couldn’t wait to see what The Grace Year would bring to the table. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint. This story is filled with mystery and intrigue. The plot is totally unique, yet has similar elements to some beloved dystopian novels. This story is gritty and intense at times and it will certainly keep you on your toes. This is a story of survival in the worst of circumstances, yet there is also hope for a better life and future. The Grace Year does have some romantic tones, but the romance does not drive the book, the plot does. The Grace Year is filled with lots of fantastic twists and turns and at times will have you questioning what you have gotten yourself into.
Overall, I found The Grace Year to be a very enjoyable read. I thought it was very unique and written well. I found myself glued to the pages and unable to put this book down. I know this is a YA book, but do not let that fool you. This book packs a punch and keeps you guessing the entire time. If you’re a fan of dystopian novels, I definitely would recommend giving The Grace Year a try.
This was an engaging read that pulled me in with all its complexities. A story that is as gripping as it is gut wrenching, I thought that this was not always an easy book to read. Not because it wasn’t good but because today’s world lends it such a feeling of plausibility. I found myself to be uncomfortable because of the many horrible truths that are blended into and combined with what could be a look into a terrifying future world that could be looming on the horizon. This is a read that will make you think and make you feel.
Talk about a book that holds your attention more than you expected.
Sixteen years old young woman is terrifying enough when thinking of your future or what’s to be expected by you in this life. When they have to go out in the wild and return to be married or have given a job, the girls don’t know what to be scared more of what the future holds or what the envy, jealousy and greed holds more power over everyone’s minds.
Yes, it’s fiction but it holds so much reality in these scenes that sometimes i thought i can see this happening in real life with girls in my city.
There are a few things that i didn’t enjoy but the ending was very unexpected and that’s why this book is very different from many others and i will recommend it to all my bookish friends.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica –
Spoiler-Free review.
There are times where I’ll add a disclaimer to my review, stating how I’m not sure how to review the novel. Added to this issue, I wish to maintain a spoiler-free review, simply because I went into it blindly and found a higher entertainment value due to it.
When I see the tagline of a novel featuring the titles of novels by other authors, I tend to steer clear, my ethics getting rubbed raw. It’s just a personal pet-peeve of mine, how you’re not to compare yourself to others. But in this case, I tend to agree. It’s helpful for readers to know that The Grace Year is an amalgamation of The Handmaid’s Tale and Lord of the Flies.
As a feminist, this novel was beyond difficult to read without being filled with rage. However, as a feminist, this novel had a spark of hope at the ending, where women were empowered instead of subjugated.
Set during an indiscriminate era, in a world built around the false belief systems of religion, where men are the voice of God and women are reduced to nothing but the harbingers of sin, all to keep the men in power and the women under their constant control.
Every year, the mature girls (I believe it was sixteen years of age), an entire grouping of girls are segregated, some chosen to become wives, whereas others are chosen to become workers or outcast for the males’ pleasure. These girls are coming into their magic (the ability to have a voice, see logic, and notice how everything isn’t as it seems). They are sent off to endure their grace year (to break them into their role of subservience).
What happens during the grace year is tragic, heinous, gut-wrenching, and beyond difficult to read. It’s a mix of environmental factors and mental suggestion, along with actual evil human beings. The girls aren’t thought as human beings, but ITs, evil creatures who need to expel their magic.
What I struggled so hard with the world building, not so much how twisted and intriguing I found it… the mothers and fathers sent their daughters there, a choice made for offspring in their care. What monsters they truly would be, to send your own child to certain death to satisfy a perverse need to be in control. The outcast women of that age group weren’t subjected to the grace year, so how come the Poachers didn’t cull their own mothers and sisters for never releasing their magic? As children were born outside the Country. The Poachers not seeing these young women as humans, so why did they see their own sisters as humans? Why did only the girls from town have magic?
Another hard facet to digest is how God-fearing people had no issue murdering without a second thought, as long as it suited their own needs. The need for power. The need to balance the genders, so there would be more men than women.
Absolutely fascinating and equally frustrating, I read The Grace Year in a single sitting, unable to put it down. Equally feeling compassion for the girls, while also loathing how weak the majority were for believing the lies, never questioning the conditioning, never standing up for themselves (at their encampment).
The novel itself proves how we women are our own worst enemies, the internalized misogyny running so deep we don’t recognize it. We may not be separated by the males in this day and age, but our judgments, vocal admonishments, and jealous hostility toward our sisters is what keeps us from banning together in solidarity. Our sick need for male validation, as if our fellow women are our competition. This mindset making it possible to be subjugated by the very ones we all so desperately need to validate us.
Young Adult age-range: 14+ due to on-scene violence and fade-to-black sexual situations.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
5 out of 5 stars
“White ribbons for the young girls, red for the grace year girls, and black for the wives. Innocence. Blood. Death.”
The sixteenth year of Tierney James life as she prepares to go on her Grace Year she dreams of a better life. A more promising life away from the county, in the outskirts working in labor as she would rather do that if she survives. You see, in the county each Autumn every sixteen year old girl is given the chance to receive a veil from a male in the county. Those who do not get picked are sent out to become laborers or become prostitutes to service the men from the county. After the veiling ceremony the girls are sent out to spend a year far from the county to fend for themselves and to find their magic and get rid of it. You see, all the men in the county believe that girls and woman are the source of evil. Eve was the first woman and she tainted all woman that came after her. She carried with her a terrible magic and the only way that the men of the county can feel safe is to send the girls off. Not every girl makes it back. There are poachers that will happily capture the girls and skin them alive to collect their “magical” blood to sell to the county. Plus they want the bounty. The girls that make it back are never allowed to even discuss the Grace Year.
When I read the premise of this book I was very excited to read this but as I started reading it took me a bit to get into this. I must say that after a little bit I was completely hooked. There is more to it than that though. There is something really special about this book. Even though this is a dystopian mystery in the climate that we are living now this is a very important novel. When I read The Hand Maid’s Tale I remember thinking that could never happen, even in the distant future. Now, not so much. I can see this happening sometime. This is more than a cautionary tale. It is gruesome, bloody,bold and sometimes very hard to read but in the best way.