So, yes, the girls are being hunted and skinned alive because the society in this book is absolutely nuts. Why? Because it’s believed their magic lives in their skin, and if consumed, can give the user prolonged youth, beauty, and a little bit of magic for themselves. Yes, poachers, the same way humans hunt animals. The belief in their magic is problematic enough, but it’s coupled with the fact that while they’re staying in the encampment, they’re also being hunted by poachers. They’re sent there because it’s believed women possess an evil sort of magic, one that they use to control men, and they need to rid themselves of it before they’re married off or join the work force. And no, this isn’t like some fun extended summer camp situation. “But Lizz, what the heck is a grace year?”īasically, all the girls are brought out to an encampment in the middle of nowhere, where they have to survive for 12 whole months. After this weird (and downright disgusting) ceremony, the girls trade their white ribbons for red ones, and are banished to endure their grace year. The men get to choose who they want as a wife, and those who do not receive a suitor are destined to a life of hard labor. Then, once they turn 16, they enter into what is called their “grace year.”īefore that happens, though, they are forced to get dressed up, are paraded through town, and then presented to eligible men (AKA, those seeking wives).

As young girls, they wear white ribbons in their hair to reflect their purity and innocence. Men reign supreme here, and women are treated as little more than objects. The Grace Year takes place in a small, seemingly isolated community that is referred to as Garner County.

For the sake of this review though, I will dive a little bit deeper. It’s hard to find words to explain how wonderful they are because all I want to do is scream “THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! IT MADE ME CRY AND KEPT ME UP AT NIGHT AND EVEN THOUGH I FINISHED IT WEEKS AGO I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!! YOU NEED TO READ IT RIGHT NOW!!!” Anyone who’s asked me about The Grace Year has received that type of answer. I always find that the most difficult reviews to write are for books that I absolutely loved.

After reading it, I can confirm that this comparison holds up, and you should add The Grace Year to your TBR piles immediately. I first heard about this book on Twitter, and after looking it up, saw it was being marketed as The Handmaid’s Tale meets Lord of the Flies. I’ve read a lot of truly amazing books lately, and The Grace Year by Kim Liggett was one of them.

The grace year tierney