Grace Year

I genuinely could not put this book down. From the very beginning, the tension is relentless — you’re on edge the entire time, constantly bracing for what comes next. This is survival at its rawest, mixed with love in all its forms — fear, loyalty, hope, heartbreak — and every emotion hits hard. The atmosphere is haunting, the stakes feel brutally real, and the story pulls you so deep that the outside world kind of disappears. It’s one of those books that doesn’t end when you turn the last page. You’ll be thinking about it long after you finish, replaying moments and questioning everything. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) A powerful, unforgettable read for anyone who loves intense, emotional, survival-driven stories that leave a mark.

“The Grace Year” is a straightforward and engaging dystopian novel that is easy to read while still delivering depth. It carries strong Handmaid’s Tale and Hunger Games vibes, blending themes of oppression, survival, and female resilience. The pacing remains steady throughout, keeping the tension high without unnecessary lulls. The novel builds intrigue with its central mystery and does a solid job of tying up loose ends by the conclusion, offering a satisfying and well-rounded finish. A compelling read for fans of dystopian fiction with a feminist edge.

🌑 Haunting, Fierce, and Unforgettable – A Dystopian Masterpiece 🌑 The Grace Year is a chilling, thought-provoking story that lingers long after the last page. Kim Liggett crafts a haunting world where young women are cast out to rid themselves of supposed magic, only to face brutality, betrayal, and the raw fight for survival. This book is dark, atmospheric, and beautifully written. The themes of control, resilience, and female empowerment are woven into a tale that feels both timeless and frighteningly relevant. I was hooked from the very first chapter—every twist made my heart race, and every moment of tenderness shone all the brighter against the shadows. If you loved The Hunger Games or The Handmaid’s Tale, this is an absolute must-read. The Grace Year is not just a dystopian survival story—it’s a searing reflection on strength, sacrifice, and reclaiming your voice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – An unforgettable, gut-punch of a book.

Major The Handmaids Tale vibes. In the best way possible. Here I am comparing books to TV series, or in this case, it's also a book to book comparison. Basically, if you took Handmaid's and you lowered it to a young adult graphic level. Obviously they are unique in their own ways. At their core you have women taken back to abuse and use for men and men only. It's horrifying, gripping, and aggravating. I was taken into every emotion from the beginning. It is SO good. SO SO good. Ugh, I just, I really can't even begin to express how good the writing is. I don't think I have anything but high praise to say about it. She took a story line that was terrifying and seemingly hopeless and gave us bravery, love, hope, and beauty as well. So, I'm going to only say this. I did not read another book in 2021 that compared. We know the story line. It's bleak. A bunch of girls go out every year to spend the entire year amongst themselves on an island. Their only other companions are the men outside the border of said island that hunt them and sell their bodies (bits, not as wholes) for the only profit they know. Again, bleak. Very bleak. There is so much going on in this book but it was made easy to follow. I was hooked from the start. I literally couldn't put it down. Not even to work. I had the ebook stashed behind my register so I could sneak pages in here and there. It never left my mind, not even after finishing it. The majority of our characters are girls. We get other characters of interests but mainly our story follows the grace year girls. All of them follow their own character arcs. Some are redeeming, others meet their end. You cant help but hate some of them the majority of the book. However, because of their circumstance you can't help but feel for even the worst of them. What would you expect from girls who are young, terrified of their present and the future that awaits them if they survive. It's not a rainbow awaiting you at the end of the tunnel. If you survive, you get to come back to a husband that you did not choose; expected to bare children and be the most dutiful, complacent wife, nothing more. Some lose their minds. Others take control. Some die. None truly come out alive. As women, we can be cruel to each other, more than we should. Rooted in jealousy, misunderstanding, miscommunication, or whatever the case, we can be absolutely cruel. It is not a shock or an understatement. However, we are our biggest allies. This book showed this in all its stages and for that alone it was beautiful. (but of course there are many other reasons this book is amazing) There is thankfully romance to keep you going. It is the spark in a dark, dark circumstance. The love that is found is beautiful and hopeful. It is a slight enemies to lovers (by miscommunication) romance. In the end, it was the ultimate symbol for hope for the future. Overall: 5/5 This book was by far the best and my most favorite of 2021. It was everything I could've wanted and more. It made me feel every emotion. It made me feel them so deeply. For being such a hyped book throughout the bookish community, I couldn't find one disappointment. It held up to all its expectations. I need more from Kim Liggett and soon.

In general, I really liked this novel and think it’s one of those modern novels that should be taught in school. I think it explores sexism and other psychological issues in a neat, fascinating, yet thrilling and compelling novel. However, I struggled with the lack of world building in this novel and I think it would have made a wonderful trilogy. It felt like a lot of information was getting crammed into a small time frame and it left me confused in several places. How did this world come to be in the first place? Where are the other communities? Who decided the girls were magic and what exactly were the signs of magic? Surely there were ways of birth control and why is that never explored within the novel? Seriously, whatever happened to technology advances or society advancement in general? Why do the villagers appear to be living in the 18th century? The book just requires a lot of suspension of belief. I think the comparison to Lord of the Flies is on point but I also think it’s way better than Lord of the Flies. I highly recommend this book as one of my top 2019 reads and look forward to being able to share this book with the women in my life. It’s a great novel that deals, in depth, with the damage and pain that women put each other through, in the hopes of attracting a male mate or just to have some semblance of power to call their own.

This may be my favourite book of 2025 ! So much so I had to get my own copy for my bookshelf. There’s no better feeling than being completely taken over by a book, and The Grace Year did exactly that to me. The levels of awe and what the actual! moments were endless. The book’s raw look at humanity — the oppressed and their oppressors - is chilling. The resilience of Tierney, the moral tension of the girls, and darkness that seeped through the pages. 🤯 There were moments that broke my heart, but the full impact didn’t hit until after I finished and closed the book. It’s one of those stories that lingers, seeping deep into your thoughts. You start to reflect on the will of the girls and women — their fight to keep their voice, and refusal to be the “prey.” It was a fight for survival even when all the odds are against you. This book wrecked me in the best way. The Grace Year is haunting, powerful and unforgettable 💔🌷🌸

Me encantó este libro y ahora es de mis favoritos. Por momentos sentí que las cosas no tenían sentido pero todo se explico al final que me dejó procesando todo un buen rato.

This was very different from what I usually read, I don‘t even know how to describe it. Surprisingly great!

The book looked old and dirty despite being cling wrapped and the corners were dog eared.

This book deserves all of the stars!! I absolutely loved everything about it and it will forever hold a piece of my heart. It has now got a spot in my top 3 books of the year (The Nightingale and All My Mothers are the other two) It’s feminist dystopian fiction, which isn’t something I thought I’d enjoy but it is an amazing page turner from the very first, to last page! If you think of The Handmaids Tale and The Hunger Games this book sits somewhere in between. I adored Tierney she was a fantastic protagonist who seemed so much older than her years. She is well known in the county as being a rebel who never wants to follow suit. This ultimately doesn’t do her any favours when entering the encampment, but it makes for a fabulous story. The storytelling is exquisite yet brutal, there are a few twists and turns along the way that really add to the plot. The main characters are brilliantly written, there was a ‘bad gal’ thrown in for good measure who you’ll love to hate. The ending was everything I had hoped it would be, and more! As you can probably tell I adored this book and I think everyone should read it - I’ve already sent copies to two of my friends, who I hope love it as much as I did.