The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett is a YA Dystopian Thriller of banished girls and secret societies.

“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 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.”

Published: 8 October 2019

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Pages: 416

How I Read It: eARC from NetGalley

*Disclaimer: I requested a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All of my reviews contain my honest opinions only and are not influenced in any way.*

When I read the synopsis, I was immediately hooked.

It felt like a darker, possible-survival story surrounding female-oppression. It’s definitely a world driven novel, and I think the author did a great job in creating an entrapping society that you just want to know the history of.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a book that surprised me with all the feelings from anger to shock to empowerment. The vibe is darker than I expected which also really drew me in and left me feeling heavy.

Interested in reading this book for yourself??