"They can call it magic.
I can call it madness.
But one thing is certain.
There is no grace here."
Some things I enjoy in general:
- • Dystopians
- • Awesome book covers
- • Fiercely feminist media
- • Kim Liggett
You see where I'm going with this? The Grace Year has basically every hallmark I look for in a book. From grittiness, to competition, to forbidden love, it basically runs the gamut of awesome. I am going to delve deeper into some of what made this one extra good for me!
- • Stunning exploration of the patriarchy pitting women against each other. Oh this happens constantly, and throughout time. But the way the author pares it down to the basics of quite literally forcing the women to mistrust each other is an incredible allegory to our current society.
- • Such gritty, dark undertones set the ambiance of the book perfectly. I mean, for a pretty large portion of the book, the girls are living in actual filth and squalor. But it just feels so... demoralizing. Which, of course, is the point. Liggett does a tremendous job of making the reader feel the desperation of the situation. More than that, she also makes us feel even the day to day weights that lie on the women's shoulders. So even when they're in a seemingly civilized environment, the dread permeates. It's fantastic.
- • Tierney is awesome and impossible not to root for. I mean, she's super smart which is helpful, but she also acknowledges that her dad treating her a little better than other dads helped give her an advantage too. She's incredible from start to finish, flawed yet completely relatable. She has her friends and family who she's not keen on leaving for the Grace Year, but I mean, who is? And when she gets there... wow. All the complex relationships she forms will blow you away, no doubt.
- • The turn it took, the end, it kind of blew my mind. I was sure I knew where this book was headed. I could not have been more wrong. And when I finished, I was floored. It took me a minute to figure out how I felt about it, (thanks to Emma for chatting about it with me)! I realized that I loved it, and the message it sent. I obviously have to be vague here but if you have read it... DM me or leave a comment or something because I have thoughts!
- • It's just a good story. At the end of the day, this matters. A book can throw all the messages at you, but if you're bored, who cares. This book was not only profound, but was entertaining as hell, too.
Bottom Line: The more I think about this book, the more I love it. And trust that I have not stopped thinking about it since I read it.