Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

The Grace Year, by Kim Liggett

22 reviews

savanhahope's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow wow wow wow wow. This is the best book I've read in a long time! It's handmaid's tale meets lord of the flies, (and maybe a little hunger games) and everything was so well thought out. Don't even get me started on the ending because I'll cry. Needless to say, you need to read this. This book was written for women everywhere who have felt like their voices haven't been heard. Check TWs!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Grief, Classism, Confinement, Pregnancy, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Mental illness, Child death, Blood, Sexism, and Animal death

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Gore, Animal cruelty, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Incest and Infertility

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

Overall, loved this one. Very lord of the flies-esque and like Wilder Girls. My only criticism is that the message is like don't let men decide the fate and everything of women (women are their own entity and should fight for freedom/equity) but a lot of the defining moments for Tierney, the main girl, is centered around men. I could've dealt without

Spoiler

two men being in love with her and her falling in love with a poacher. And the fact that her love for some dude motivated her for survival. The ending was giving me "Katniss learning to love Peeta" vibes with having kids even though in the beginning the main character didn't want any domestic life. The guard thinking she was his property and being entirely unhinged was a nice surprise moment in the book for me tho

. Well written and kept me enthralled the whole time. Couldn't put it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Blood, Bullying, Death, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, and Confinement

Moderate: Infertility, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Vomit, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Pedophilia

elsea_readingelsea's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Gore, Death, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Physical abuse

reddhay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

I almost did not finish this book, it’s very slow beginning & middle. The main character also takes a long time to develop. But man, it was so worth the read! Top books read this year. Highly recommend! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death, Suicide, and Sexism

Minor: Infertility

bookellys's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

For me, this book is the perfect kind of dystopia that makes it easy for you to envision the world being portrayed. A blend of the oppression of The Hand Maids Tale and the survival and friendship elements of The Hunger Games all rolled into one.

The County is a patriarchal society, despite women out numbering men 3:1 - to keep the women in check they get sent out on their grace year as they transition into womanhood, the purpose being to rid themselves of their ‘magic’. I love the way the story unfolds, and you learn more about the magic within each of the girls. But not everyone will return.

So many super strong female characters (I think Tierney’s Mum might just be my favourite, though Ryker’s Mum has a heart of gold) as well as some men supportive of these women 🙌🏻

Whilst the situations are different, it somehow manages to capture the struggle and journey women have been on for centuries, to be seen as more than just wives and mothers, and to just be seen!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Torture

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Lesbophobia and Infertility

ktpickles's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Bullying, Blood, Grief, Injury/injury detail, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Outing, and Suicide

Minor: Infertility and Homophobia

siglerbooknook's review against another edition

Don't get me wrong. This book is amazing and super well written. But the topics of the story were just too dark and disturbing for me to finish the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

scburhans's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A solid social horror book which a good amount of social commentary.
I think this book, while not perfect, is a great introduction to the social horror/speculative fiction genre. Not every detail was perfect and there was some trite and cliche moments, but overall, it had some good messages, and the plot was engaging and entertaining. 

**Slight, indirect spoilers below this point**

Personally, I would have liked a little bit less emphasis placed on the forbidden romance here and more placed on the girls in their actual grace year. It felt a little "you-need-a-man-to-save-you", which I know wasn't intentional, but did irk me a little. I'm sure it was meant to be a freeing thing for Tierney, but I've gotten tired of the whole "girl-has-to-become-sexual-and-immodest-to-be-liberated-or-empowered" thing. It's just swung around to a whole new level of misogyny where you have to be promiscuous or bare a lot of skin to be feminist and that's frankly a crock of bullshit. I will, however, take it in good faith that that was not what Liggett was attempting to say here. 
Other than that, I liked most of the characters and did enjoy their personal development arcs - I do just wish we had seen more of the other girls that Tierney, Gerturde, and Kiersten. The plot was interesting and engaging and it was fun to find all the little homages to classics like The Handmaid's Tale - especially the nod with the red ribbons and white veils. I enjoyed it! And I definitely would be interested in seeing a continuation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Torture, Pregnancy, Violence, Misogyny, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/injury detail, Lesbophobia, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Grief, Infertility, Physical abuse, and Stalking

theoldhazzledazzle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Hunger Games meets the Maze Runner meets the Handmaid’s Tale. A little gruesome in parts but nothing too graphic. Immediately one of my favourite books; I read it in two days. Can’t recommend it enough. Perfect for those of us who loved those dystopian books when we were in school but want something a bit more reflective now. Loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Violence, Excrement, Injury/injury detail, Animal death, Bullying, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Gore

nutm3g's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Grace Year was a wonderfully entertaining, heartbreaking, gruesome, and yet hopeful read that is reminiscent of The Handmaiden's Tale. Set in a society where sixteen year old girls are sent into the wilderness for a year to release their evil magic tied to their womanhood, we are left questioning what truly is the magic found in pages of this book. Tiernay is introduced as angry at the shackles of her birth, where she seems to hold herself distant from other women. As she uncovers the truth of the Grace Year while struggling to survive the horrors faced in the encampment, she also strives to do whatever she can to save her fellow grace year girls (as well as striving to survive for the sake of her younger sisters). The juxtaposition with how she almost views the girls in the same way men do (evil and like sheep/cattle) and her actions towards ensuring their safety even when her life is on the line does a wonderful job indicating the many different facets of how misogyny affects those it oppresses. The romance felt believable for the circumstances (both enemies to lovers and best friends to lovers), though I was a bit devastated on how a certain situation resulted. All the gruesome acts and morbid situations worked itself into a hopeful and open-ended last scene. There is so much more I want to say (really an essay worth of discussions), but I do not want to ruin the book for anyone. I would definitely recommend this book as it was a beautiful and devastating read while leaving me hopeful for the future of Garner County. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Torture, and Vomit

Moderate: Kidnapping, Outing, Rape, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment