The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Title: The Grace Year

Author: Kim Liggett

Publish Date: October 8th, 2019

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Source: ARC courtesy of Raincost Books

Summary by Goodreads.

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.

Penelope's Review

Wow! Just wow... I could not put this book down. I finished it in a night while on a camping trip, which actually ended up being the perfect setting for this thrilling dystopian. 

This book has been compared to the Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, The Handmaid's Tale and I have to say I completely agree - in the best way possible! And yet it was still completely unique! The book takes place in Garner County where women are said to have magic that they must get rid of when sent away for their grace year at age 16. They then return to the men to be wives and childbearers. The book is a quiet demonstration of standing up and rebelling against men in charge. There are no loud, bold revolutions but rather subtle displays of strength and empowerment. It was very well written.

I found Tierney, the main character, to be strong willed and relatable. She seeks the truth, while trying to stay true to herself and manages to succeed in doing so. There were other characters that I loved as well such as Ryker (of course!), and Kiersten (great job at being a badass mean-girl leader). 

The book was written in such a way that there were no slow spots, and the more I read the more I wanted to read. The end was great, but up for personal interpretation. Sometimes I like this aspect, sometimes I don't. It was tastefully done in this book, but I usually like a clear cut answer (that is just a personal preference of course, many love creating their own version of things). 

Very excited to see what Kim Liggett comes out with next, my eye is on her now!

RATING: 4.5/5 DEVILS!