The Stats
š BOOK REVIEWā š
BOOK: The Grace Year
AUTHOR: Kim Liggett
Publisher: Wednesday Books @wednesdaybooks
Stars: āāāā
Published: October 8, 2019
The Review
āØ The Title/Cover Draw:
- I love dystopian novels and this one was talked about a lot. The plot really intrigued me.
š What I liked:
- This is an important book when it comes to the discussion of womenās rights and equal rights. The writing pulled me into the world immediately, so much so that I finished it in a day and couldnāt put it down. This story is filled with imagery and mystery.
š± What I didnāt like:
- Some of the āvillainā characters didnāt necessarily get their due, and thereās a few clunky parts that I had to re-read but overall, it’s great.
šāāļø The Characters:
- Tierney, Kiersten, and Gretchen are among the grace girls. There are a few boys that Tierney knows like Michael (her best friend), Ryker (a poacher), and Hans (a guard).
š¦ The Ending:
- Even though the subject matter is kind of dark, the end is full of hope and life. I didnāt feel depressed at all.
š Reminds me of:
- Lord of the Flies meets Handmaids Tale.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
š Summary:
No one speaks of the grace year. Itās 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. Thatās why theyāre 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 lifeāa society that doesnāt pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that itās not just the brutal elements they must fear. Itās 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.