Book Review: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

First Thoughts:

Major The Handmaids Tale vibes. In the best way possible. Here I am comparing books to TV series, or in this case, it's also a book to book comparison. Basically, if you took Handmaid's and you lowered it to a young adult graphic level. Obviously they are unique in their own ways. At their core you have women taken back to abuse and use for men and men only. It's horrifying, gripping, and aggravating. I was taken into every emotion from the beginning.

Writing: 5/5

It is SO good. SO SO good. Ugh, I just, I really can't even begin to express how good the writing is. I don't think I have anything but high praise to say about it. She took a story line that was terrifying and seemingly hopeless and gave us bravery, love, hope, and beauty as well. So, I'm going to only say this. I did not read another book in 2021 that compared.

Plot: 5/5

We know the story line. It's bleak. A bunch of girls go out every year to spend the entire year amongst themselves on an island. Their only other companions are the men outside the border of said island that hunt them and sell their bodies (bits, not as wholes) for the only profit they know. Again, bleak. Very bleak. There is so much going on in this book but it was made easy to follow. I was hooked from the start. I literally couldn't put it down. Not even to work. I had the ebook stashed behind my register so I could sneak pages in here and there. It never left my mind, not even after finishing it.

Characters: 5/5

The majority of our characters are girls. We get other characters of interests but mainly our story follows the grace year girls. All of them follow their own character arcs. Some are redeeming, others meet their end. You cant help but hate some of them the majority of the book. However, because of their circumstance you can't help but feel for even the worst of them. What would you expect from girls who are young, terrified of their present and the future that awaits them if they survive. It's not a rainbow awaiting you at the end of the tunnel. If you survive, you get to come back to a husband that you did not choose; expected to bare children and be the most dutiful, complacent wife, nothing more.

Some lose their minds. Others take control. Some die. None truly come out alive. As women, we can be cruel to each other, more than we should. Rooted in jealousy, misunderstanding, miscommunication, or whatever the case, we can be absolutely cruel. It is not a shock or an understatement. However, we are our biggest allies. This book showed this in all its stages and for that alone it was beautiful. (but of course there are many other reasons this book is amazing)

Romance: 4/5

There is thankfully romance to keep you going. It is the spark in a dark, dark circumstance. The love that is found is beautiful and hopeful. It is a slight enemies to lovers (by miscommunication) romance. In the end, it was the ultimate symbol for hope for the future.

Overall: 5/5

This book was by far the best and my most favorite of 2021. It was everything I could've wanted and more. It made me feel every emotion. It made me feel them so deeply. For being such a hyped book throughout the bookish community, I couldn't find one disappointment. It held up to all its expectations. I need more from Kim Liggett and soon.