The Grace Year
“Maybe the reason no one speaks of the grace year is because of us. How could the men live among us, lie with us, let us care for their children, knowing the horrors we inflict upon one another . . . alone . . . in the wilderness . . . in the dark?”
Y’all, don’t let this cute bubblegum pink cover fool you, because this book is anything but sugary sweet. This story creates a wild, wild world and so are the girls in it. I have not read a YA dystopian novel in a couple of years, but this one reminded me why I used to actively seek out these types of stories. They are messy and ugly and dramatic and despite all that, or maybe because of it, I am both frustrated, fascinated and held in suspense.
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.
This is a story of survival. You’d think it would be about women surviving men or the wild mainly, but actually, in this particular case, women need to survive one another the adult women in their own community and the teenage girls during their grace year. Indeed, in a society where women are not allowed to be mad at men, the only people they can turn their anger against are other women. It’s a sad and disturbing thought. But to make it more disturbing, women are such possessions that there are poachers who kill power-wielding girls in order to sell their parts to consumers who believe consuming these young girls will improve their health.
“We hurt each other because it’s the only way we’re permitted to show our anger. When our choices are taken from us, the fire builds within. Sometimes I feel like we might burn down the world to cindery bits, with our love, our rage, and everything in between.”
I could not get over how powerful and well developed the characters were throughout this story. As I read my emotions and senses were extremely heightened just do to the connections I felt with the characters. Not only were the characters well developed, they were real. Tierney had her flaws and made mistakes, but she grew from them. I also liked how Liggett allowed the supporting characters to develop and evolve over time in a realistic fashion...But don’t get me wrong…there are still some seriously bat-sh$@ crazy girls that may not have learned a thing (you’ll just have to read the book to find out).
I read The Grace Year as a buddy read, and boy was I thankful to have someone to discuss this book with at every turn of the page. Both Emily and I had so many thoughts, ideas and a lot of questions as we read. I really might of lost my mind if I couldn’t have discussed this book as I read it. We even constantly found ourselves getting antsy because we just had to know what would happen next It really is a miracle that I didn’t cheat and skip ahead just so I could brace myself for what was coming next!
I’m not surprised Kim Liggett has written horror stories in the past after finishing in this book, and I’m sure more are to come (I’m praying for a sequel to this book), because this was terrifying. This story was raw, graphic, horrifying, fast-paced with a dash of hope added to keep the reader from losing their sanity. It was unrealistic and yet very realistic at the same time. I couldn’t imagine this happening in our society, but I had no trouble visualizing everything the author described. This is a story that I will not soon forget…like ever forget!
