A review by yennn
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a very unique book which is reminiscent of the handmaid’s tale, the hunger games, the purge, and lord of the flies. We follow Tiernan and her experiences of The Grace Year, which all the women in the country will experience to rid themselves of their magic before they are married off – it is forbidden to speak about the grace year, but it's common knowledge that not all girls return from the grace year, and not all return in one piece. 

This was such a gripping thriller, a real page turner that I could not step away from despite how graphic and horrific it could get (how is this a YA?) I was promised dystopian, and we get that and more. Overall, I really enjoyed this, and would recommend to anyone who likes a dark dystopian world that is brutal and battle royal-esque, but also there were elements of this that did not work for me, which I will spoiler below! 

This is the first time I attempted to take notes throughout reading, and it’s been very helpful indeed. 

Firstly, our main character Tiernan – she comes across initially as a bright cookie, an odd-bod and almost radically unique character in the county full of docile women and socially powerful men. Yet there are SO many instances where she was completely oblivious despite the reader seeing a twist coming from a mile away? She’s also so self-absorbed and selfish that it was so frustrating to read at times. 

On the other hand, the men in her life (bar one) are actually so good to her, and so sweet. Chef kiss to them. The romance didn’t feel necessary, or have as much gravity to me as it ultimately did…also how old was Ryker? Since this is spoilered already, I’m just going to say I really thought that the twist was that the men of the county were the poachers – I thought Ryker was actually going to be Michael. That would’ve been exciting.


This may just be me, but there are also some physics in this book that just didn’t make sense to me. I don’t know if that’s because I just suck at visualising, or because I wasn’t given enough details to visualise, but they left me very confused. I can understand why a map wasn't provided, but I actually think a map of even just the camp would’ve helped a lot. 

The ending also jarred me a little – without spoiling, it felt a little rushed, with all the loose ends and other plot points hastily being revealed and ironed out in time skips and vague sentences. Particularly the dreams and the flowers: it all just felt like forced feminist filler to me. I would’ve liked to have explored the usurper and their background and impact more. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and would recommend to anyone who likes a dark dystopian world that is brutal and battle royal-esque. 
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