The Grace Year by Kim Liggett 4.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Grace Year to read and review!
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 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.

The Grace Year is a well written novel reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games and Mean Girls.  

Tierney lives in a small county where women are basically property.  The day before the girls are sent to a remote location for the "Grace Year", they are paraded through town so the eligible men can choose who they want to marry.  They are sent away so their "magic" won't taint the men in the county as they come into their womanhood.  The women who survive their grace year are not allowed to discuss it with anyone, and they can and will be physically punished if they disobey the men's rules.  

Tierney is not the average female in her county.  She was taught to hunt, build and survive in the wilderness by her father.  That gives her  major advantage during her time away.  These girls are hunted by poachers, and by each other.  Things get pretty out of control during the time of the banishment and the book really makes you think about women's relationships.  The way they go from best friend to worst enemy at a moments notice.

While I definitely enjoyed this story, I don't really know if the secondary romance was necessary.  I understand how it all fits into the ending, but I really liked Tierney as a strong female protagonist without being saved by a man.

I rate this book 4.5 stars.

Release date: 10/8/19