Hello, my voyagers.
I know I’ve been absent for the last several months. My mental health has taken a bit of a dip lately, and I haven’t been doing much writing at all. I still wouldn’t say I’m in a great place mentally, but I know I’m well enough to write about this book that absolutely blew me away.
My ongoing not-so-great mental health created a very bad reading slump for me this year. Instead of the usual 20-25 books I would’ve read by now, I can truthfully say that I’ve read a total of 2 books this year. And one was a manga, so I have trouble thinking that that one counts, even though it totally does.
That being said, this was the first full-length novel that I read this year, and honestly, I’m learning that maybe that’s enough. It was a beautifully written story about girlhood, power, love, and the way that we lose pieces of ourselves when we grow up.
So, no, I’m not sure if you’ll start seeing regular posts from me again on here. But, I do know that I wanted to share this story with you before I lose my motivation and forget half of the plot.
The Review
This book single-handedly broke through my year-long reading slump. It gripped me in a way I haven’t been gripped in a very long time.
I will say it’s quite an aggressively feminist story in a lot of ways, but I think it’s done in a way that serves the story through an honest and truthful look at gender and the way power can be abused by both, as opposed to simply pushing an agenda.
Content Warnings
Alcohol, animal death, blood, bullying (graphic and shown on-page), cannibalism (mentioned/alluded to), cursing, death, emotional abuse, excrement, gore, grief, infertility (mentioned/alluded to), injury/injury detail, medical trauma, misogyny, murder, pedophilia (implied, but never fully shown in great detail), physical abuse, sexism, sexual content, suicide, torture, toxic friendship, twisting religion (specifically Christianity), violence, and vomit.
What I Loved
The premise. This book felt very Handmaid’s Tale x The Hunger Games x Lord of The Flies to me, and I was not disappointed. It’s a gritty, raw, and brutal story about what happens to a society when the girls are told that they’re only worth is in purging their magic and obeying their husbands and the men believe that they can do whatever they want without consequences. I can’t say any more for fear of spoilers, but the plot of this book is very well executed and I can only dream of writing a story as compelling as this one.
The themes. This story promises an exploration of girlhood, womanhood, and “the difficult decisions they make in-between,” and it delivers. These themes run through every word and carry profound meaning for every single character in the story. I found myself pouring over so many quotes because they so beautifully captured what it means to be a woman, but also what it means to simply grow up. The idea of leaving childhood behind is a slightly less prevelant one, but it packs a powerful punch when it runs alongside the primary themes.
The way feminism serves a purpose. I wouldn’t call myself a feminist, so I sometimes get a bit nervous about books that lean into it. But I was pleasently surprised with this book because the angle of feminism portrayed is actually necessary. It has a purpose, and it’s not thrown into the characters’ beliefs carelessly and on a whim. It makes sense for the girls in the story to lean into feminist beliefs, and it would feel offputting if they didn’t.
Additionally, I really like how the feminism portrayed doesn’t become about an agenda on the author’s part. I mean, it’s possible that she had an agenda while writing, but in terms of the story, I wouldn’t say it becomes an “anti all men” kind of message (just as it doesn’t necessarily become a “pro all women” story). At the end of the day, these are flawed, complicated humans who all have reasons for why they behave and act in certain ways. And, I think the author did a really good job at showing us how anyone can abuse power, not just men.
What I Didn’t Love
That it ended. As a writer, I completely understand why this book ended where it did. Liggett made a very brave decision to leave us where she did, and I respect that. However, as a reader, I wanted so much more. I wanted to know where the story would go from here and what the future looks like for these characters and this world.
One note I will leave is that I’ve seen some readers say that parts of the story weren’t believable for them. Personally, none of the moments these readers mentioned were problems for me in terms of suspension of disbelief. However, I still wanted to note this in case any of you find these issues to be a dealbreaker.
Favorite Quotes
“Someday, you’ll get a flower. It might be a little withered round the edges, but it’ll mean just the same. Love’s not just for the marrieds, you know, it’s for everyone.”
“Instead of thinking about all the ways I could die, I start planning for all the ways I want to live.”
“I know I’m a far cry from the girl from my dreams, but I want to believe there’s a part of her that lives in me . . . in every single one of us.”
Listen to my The Grace Year playlist
My Rating
About the Book
No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.
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.
With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.
About the Author
Kim Liggett, originally from the rural midwest, moved to New York City to pursue a career in the arts. She’s the author of Blood and Salt, Heart of Ash, The Last Harvest (Bram Stoker Award Winner), The Unfortunates, and The Grace Year. Kim spends her free time studying tarot and scouring Manhattan for rare vials of perfume and the perfect egg white cocktail.
*My reading and/or reviewing of this book does not mean I endorse the beliefs or actions of the author.
Let’s Talk!
Have you read The Grace Year? If you did, what were your favorite parts? If you haven’t, have I convinced you to give it a shot? What are your favorite female-led novels? Let’s talk all things girlhood in the comments.
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