The Grace year Book Review

Release : October 8
Summary :

Survive the year.

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 16th 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 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 their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

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Review

I haven’t read much Dystopia books . But I always had a love for them . Grace year was an unexpected pick for me. I was reading back to back fantasy and I wanted to try something different.

Grace Year is the name of the 16th year of every girl’s life. Garden county believes the girl’s skin emits a strong aphrodisiac which makes the girls go mad with jealousy. So they let them know they’re not alone and seperate them until they come to their senses *cackles*. I wish.

No no , they make all the 16 y/o live together (yes , when they’re believed to make each other go crazy) for a YEAR in the CABIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS. Where sexual predators + starvation + unknown animals are known to lurk. Yes.

Anyway , this is the system for many years . The book begins when Tierny James , our MC turns 16. As you might expect , she’s a typical “I’m not like the other girls , I have brains” kind of girl who has only one boy best friend and she loves her dad and loathes her mom yada yada.

Now , you guys by now probably know I hate the “I’m not like other girls” trope. But the plot and the writing (especially the narrator 😍😍😍) kept me going.

Survival takes more effort and with everything at stake , the girls are the ones who should fear themselves from.

Grace year is a feministic read which celebrates girls in every form and way possible. We have lots of girls with all kinds of personalities – queen bee , silent snarks , and everyone.

(If it feels a lot like High school , join the club my friend)

This book explores the woods and the secrets hidden behind which hold a lot of twists and treachery.

While the plot sounds like it focusses only on survival it also touches little parts and pieces of who we really are and what we do.

I haven’t read many books in this kind or even a vaguely resembling kind. So I was totally blown away with the twists and turns the plot took.

The World building wasn’t much unique because the story happens in a old village and a forest which is basically an Island.

The ending of the book was satisfying for me. There weren’t much unresolved issues or anything .

Personally , I recommend this audiobook just for the narrator , Emily Schaffer. She changed voices and kept me in toes from the beginning till the end. And her being a girl and the book being entirely with / about girls made it amazing.

I get to relive my horrible high school experiences which I certainly didn’t like much but Tierney’s growth and experiences were wonderful to hear. She’s strong , brilliant and flawed. That’s why I love her. She acknowledges her mistakes and tries to correct them.

Grace year is definitely a hit or miss kind of a book.

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I received the audiobook ARC from Libro fm and Wednesday books . It didn’t affect any of my opinions.

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Do you like dystopia? Are you interested in Grace year? Let’s talk.