A review by sleepyreaderthings
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m writing this immediately after I finished the book, and I am overcome with a range of emotions. I was not expecting this book to feel nostalgic at all, but it reminded me of The Handmaid’s Tale and Lord of the Flies, as well as other things I can’t quite place. This is a story about oppression and misogyny, but it is also about love, grief, and hope. The acknowledgement page is everything to me, and it shows where the author got the passion to write this. This story is for all the girls and women out there who have been made to feel less than men. This is for the women who were burned at the stake for witchcraft because men need to control everything.

There is something so special about this book that had me reading it in two days, and eating up every second of it. I didn’t come into this book thinking I would love it and resonate with the characters as much as I did. There were insufferable characters, and there were moments of extreme frustration on my end. However, all of that needed to happen. If I got what I wanted, the ending wouldn’t be the same and have the same impact. I was mad (
with Keirsten especially omg I wish she died
) and heartbroken at times (
Ryker
), but I’m still left with a bittersweet feeling at the end of it all. 

One of the few gripes I had is a spoiler so blocking it.
Tierney and Ryker needed more development. I would have loved to see more of their relationship grow and their feelings bc it felt a little insta love. Also idk how old Ryker is? Bc she’s like 16 soo
I also saw the twist coming
with Hans. I enjoyed it and didn’t mind that it was predictable too much. Overall the message is there. He felt like he deserved her when he didn’t. He was a grown man and she was a child, but he felt ownership over her.
I didn’t take any points off bc the message of the story means everything.
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