Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

43 reviews

planreadrepeat's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This book feels like a mix of so many others. Handmaid’s Tale mixed with Hunger Games spiced with Salem Witch Trials and Lord of the Flies. 

The overall theme of men ruling and women submitting is laid out with a nice bit of world building. How brutal the girls, and women, are to each other seems far fetched until you think of the Salem Witch Trials and other acts of mass hysteria. 

The ended was hopeful and sad at the same time. Good read to make you think of power in society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, and Grief

Minor: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

grace_lynn08's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Torture, Misogyny, Suicide, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Incest, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gore, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Death

ann_the_imp's review

dark emotional hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Vomit, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Confinement, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Sexual content, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Addiction, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

tays_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Blood, Death, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Violence, Sexism, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse, Excrement, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Stalking, Pedophilia, Animal death, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Vomit

Minor: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, and Infertility

danibee's review

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

4.5

At first, I thought this was going to be a heavy-handed YA-with-a-message which can be hard to read even when you agree with the message. But after I realized this wasn’t a dystopian not like other girls love triangle, I really enjoyed it.  

The ending was very satisfying, and I liked that it confronted change within a system vs. outside it. Also - so fast-paced! I read the first 300 pages in 1 day and finished the whole thing in 2 days. 

Spoiler

But let’s talk about the ending? Who else was like, is her pregnancy a twist ending or did the author just completely forget to write in the details? Did I black out for some key hints? I know they kept calling here a wh*re, but they were throwing purity culture slurs around quite a bit. And did she get pregnant from having sex one time? ughhhhhhhhh. Has anyone noticed that so many female main characters who don’t think they’re special are actually the MOST fertile? That trope is so grating. I realize that Stockholm syndrome is probably the biggest cliché here, but somehow that is more palpable to me than fertility while under duress and recovering from starvation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Gore

winnie_is_swag's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

i really liked this book. 'twas beautifully written, and it made me emotional. the main character is strong and independent. it's like Lord of the Flies meets a Handmaid's Tale. Highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Animal death, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Gore, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Bullying

Moderate: Pregnancy, Medical content, Vomit, Sexual content, and Infertility

Minor: Sexual content, Rape, Classism, Abandonment, Homophobia, Cursing, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

bells_shelves's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

I was going to rate this book a 3.5 until I got to the very end. The book started out slow, too on-the-nose in my opinion, and then after page 200 I really got into it. The ending just really threw me for a loop & I thought that it went against the entire message of the book.

Spoiler

You’re telling me that Tierney chose to CONTINUE A DEAD MAN’S BLOODLINE over LIBERATING ALL OF THE WOMEN IN THE COUNTY - DEAD AND ALIVE?

Spoiler

A lot of the book felt rushed and super obvious. It was extremely YA. I’m disappointed because I think it could’ve been written better. All of this to say that I did read this book in 3 days. I was hooked. I’m just baffled by the ending. So many unanswered questions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Slavery, Blood, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Vomit, Animal death, Bullying, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism

a_wren_that_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Pregnancy, Suicide, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Child abuse, Deportation, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gore, Grief, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Fire/Fire injury

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-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? Yes

2.5

Tierney lives in a society where men are in charge and women are nothing more than men's possessions. It is believed that women develop magic and have the ability to turn that magic against men.  Every year girls who turn 16 are sent out on their Grace Year. During this year, the girls are sent to an isolated island where they are expected to rid themselves of their "magic". The girls must fight against the threat of poachers, starvation, and each other to make it through the year. The girls who make it back home, are either turned over to the men who claimed them as their wives or sent to work camps.  

Spoiler

I was really hopeful after reading about the premise of this book. I understand the message that was attempted in this book, unortunately it didn't quite hit the mark.

Tierney was shown as this strong, independent character. We were built up to believe that she would be able to fight for herself through her Grace Year. After all, she came armed with more skills than the other girls. Yet, her survival was heavily dependent on men. Without these men, she would have died. 

I hate the stereotypes that were heavily played upon - the mean girl clique, the meek girls, the outcasts... 

I feel like the storyline with Ryker missed the mark. We are supposed to believe that this fiercely independent girl all of a sudden wants to abandon her sisters in order to run off with and marry a poacher? I WISH the focus would have been on the girls in the camp instead of the storyline with Ryker. The love story was not necessary.  It would have played so much better has the girls come together sooner than the very last day. 

I did appreciate the ending. We were not given an unbelievable HEA. We were shown the small changes that were happening and how Tierney's dreams would become reality. I liked how we got to see the truth about Michael and how he would be instrumental in helping make changes. 

I wish that the feminist angle had been explore more. 
 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

savanhahope's review

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