If the Hunger Games was decidedly more feminist, gory, and creepy, it would be The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. Set in a dystopian society that more closely resembles colonial America than your classic futuristic frontier, The Grace Year manages to capture girlhood at its worst and best.

Every year, Garner County sends its sixteen-year-old female population into exile so that the girls can rid their bodies of dangerous magic. The girls return the following year broken, both emotionally and physically, ready to be married off to the bachelors of the county. The Grace Year follows Tierney, the story’s protagonist, as she is sent into exile alongside dozens of girls her age. However, unlike the others, she doesn’t believe in magic and she dreads her impending marriage. But, as poachers keep watch over the girls, ready to slaughter them and harvest their bodies for magical properties, Tierney cannot deny that a strange transformation is taking place. As each girl eventually comes into their respective magic, Tierney gradually becomes an outcast. She just has to survive the poachers, wilderness, and other girls in order to return to her family, but that’s a task easier said than done.

Though the plot may sound simple, there are plenty of subplots and twists that pop up throughout the book. However, they often felt forced and came off as more ridiculous than shocking. Tierney would find herself on the edge of death and recover through some miracle, only for a convoluted plot point to send her back into danger. It got old pretty fast. Liggett could have cut out the majority of these twists and the book would be just as good, if not better.

What I did appreciate about The Grace Year was just how gruesome it was. The girls slowly descend into madness while the reader bears witness through Tierney’s eyes. We are privy to the girls at their most cruel, deranged, and evil. And yet, at the end of the book, I still found that I didn’t truly hate any of the story’s female characters. Even Tierney, who at first seemed to be your typical “not like other girls” protagonist, turned out to be a compassionate, admirable character. I wouldn’t say that the ending was necessarily a happy one, but it definitely carried a note of hope and optimism that left me wishing there was a sequel.

Overall, I’d rate The Grace Year 3.5 out of 5 stars. With just a few tweaks in terms of outlandish plot points, the book very well could’ve been amazing. I would recommend it to anyone who’s searching for a darker, deeper alternative to the typical young adult dystopian novel.

Review by: Kristine S,11th Grade

—Amanda Charles, Central Library - Teen'Scape