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.
Flo's Review
Okay. This is an interesting case. I finished it and I was just...twisted up about it? Like, I finished it a few days ago and I'm still thinking about it. But I can't necessarily say that I loved it. It was a brutal and intense story, but it does stick with you.
There is obviously so much commentary to be had on the roles of women in society, and how all the things a women is supposed to be are often contradictory. There's the idea of quiet rebellion -- the power behind it, and the slow, but important, impact. And, of course, the discussion about how women compete with each other when we should be lifting each other up. I listened to the audiobook, and the end of the audiobook had a brief interview with the girl who read the audiobook and the author. Both of them were crying throughout, and both of them had good things to say.
The Grace Year is going to be a movie, and I can't even imagine! I don't know if I can watch it! It was that gruesome. But am I glad I read it? Yeah, I am. I've seen a lot of reviews by people who did not like the ending, and I actually did like it. I'm all into what's implied for the characters and the future.
I know this is a weird review, folks. I can't ... I don't know that my thoughts on it? I mean, I'm still here thinking about, but I can't pin down one concrete thing to say? Have you read it? What did you think??
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