The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Genre: YA Dystopian
Blurb (on back of book):
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! 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.
MY OPINION: ****
I loved the idea of this book and once I heard the synopsis, I just knew I had to read it. I was intrigued by the characters and the basic premise of the novel. It's been a while since I've read a young adult dystopian so I was happy to try to this one out and was more than satisfied with it overall.
At sixteen years old, the girls are believed to acquire a magic that they can use to bewitch the men. Because of the misogynist atmosphere of the book, the girls are sent away on a "grace year" to get rid of their magic. Once they return, those who were "veiled" right before they are sent off are able to get married and have kids with the men who chose them.
Tierney isn't like the other girls. I usually despise this trope because what does that really mean? However, in this very sexist society, there was a clear stereotype of what "the other girls" are, none of which Tierney fills. She doesn't want to get married and she prefers to work in the fields for the rest of her life. She also is highly against the idea of magic and that supernatural element that everyone else seems to be so convinced exists. This causes many clashes with the other girls and ends up with Tierney being cast out of the community at the grace year.
The grace year thing sort of confused me at first because so much was happening all at once. We got introduced to the other girls and their various personalities, including Kristen, the mean girl of the novel. I think Kristen was honestly just influenced by the whole magic idea and was scared of who she was, which resulted in her becoming the villain. I honestly think she wasn't that bad by the end and started to understand her character a lot better. I also loved Gertrude and seeing how strong she was while dealing with the rumors and slurs going around about her.
My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. The beginning was rather slow and the middle started to pick up the pace. However, the end half felt so rushed, especially the romance between Ryker and Tierney. I honestly didn't know something was going on there until they were suddenly like sparks are flying and I'm in love!!! If their relationship had been slowed down and developed more, I would have felt a lot more attached to Ryker than I did by the end.
The ending was both satisfying and unsatisfying. I loved seeing the character development in each and every one of the girls from beginning to end, especially Tierney, Kristen, and Gertie. I also loved seeing how they all came together as one by the end to fight against the oppressive men. However, I hated how Tierney's story ended with Michael and that entire bit. While I won't spoil anything, I just wish it had been less rushed and more believable than it ended up being.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a female-driven young adult dystopian novel!
Main Character: Tierney
Sidekick(s): Gertrude, family, etc
Villain(s): Kristen, the men, magic, poachers, etc
Dystopian Elements: This was all set in a "futuristic" world.
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